


the prince is an omega

by r4m3nlvr



Series: the jokenverse [12]
Category: SB19 (Band)
Genre: Alpha - Freeform, Alternate Universe, Angst, Fantasy, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Light Drama, M/M, Mutual Pining, Omega!Josh, Omegaverse, Princes & Princesses, Romance, SB19 - Freeform, Slow Burn, Soldiers, alpha!ken, beta, omega - Freeform, royal family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:21:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 44,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27892228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/r4m3nlvr/pseuds/r4m3nlvr
Summary: Crown Prince Josh has a duty. He is to rule the country of Athenaeas, as is his destiny as firstborn. He has been preparing for his coronation as Grand Alpha and King all his life, a promise he swore to his departed parents. But Josh believes he has one fatal flaw—he is an omega, a secret kept by a select few within his circle. As Josh keeps his vulnerability from exposure, he also tries to be worthy of the title while fighting his omega nature.What will happen when a mere alpha soldier finds out about this secret? Will Josh be ruined? Or will he be saved?
Relationships: Joken, Josh Cullen Santos/Felip Jhon Suson | Ken
Series: the jokenverse [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1794040
Comments: 216
Kudos: 231





	1. letters to the wind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello, this is ramen (user @r4m3nlvr_19)~! welcome to another multi-chap fic and my first fantasy joken fic! and it’s omegaverse. i am really excited about writing this one, and i hope you will have fun as we explore this new world together. please enjoy and love alpha!ken and omega!josh!
> 
> disclaimer: my knowledge of omegaverse and royalty is very limited. if you see mistakes, plotholes, and other errors, please let me know! thank you very much!
> 
> chapter contains: letters

# letters to the wind

_6 th of Hishom in the Year of Grandefall_

_838 A.D._

_Aethen, The Capital_

_Autumn is ending. How fast the years have gone. It feels only yesterday when I was but a young prince frolicking in the garden while my mother watched from the bench under the tall Acacia tree._

_I will be turning thirty. Once I am of that age, I will be crowned Grand Alpha and ascend the throne that had been empty for twenty years. I miss my father, the previous Grand Alpha. I miss my mother, the Queen consort, all the more. Whenever the days get cold, I am reminded of the chill autumn eve when my parents perished in the shipwreck._

_My father, my King, are you well in heaven? Is my mother doing fine as well? Even if just for a moment, I remember you and wish you were here as they crown me._

_I remember. And that is all I can do._

_Remember, but never dwell. I cannot. As crown prince, I have more important things to deal with than the painful past. No matter how many times it visits me in my sleep, it will not change the fact that my parents are dead. It will not change the fact that I have a country to serve, brothers to protect, and a body to subdue. After all, I am the crown prince, and soon to be Grand Alpha._

_That title weighs heavily though I only write it._

_If my people knew what I really am, will this crown weigh less? Will they accept me as I am?_

_Will I?_

* * *

_11/09/838_

_My Esteemed Mother,_

_How are you in the village? As for me, I’m doing well in the capital. I was assigned to the first platoon as a foot soldier. The workload isn’t too much. Not any different from the things I used to do in the village, although it requires more of brute strength._

_I thought I would be scared of being here, but it’s actually a great place. I’ve come during the Harvest Festival, and as new recruits to the Royal Army, we were required to help out with the preparations and oversee the peace and order for the week-long celebration. Just last night, we were patrolling the castle. And I saw for the first time the royal princes!_

_The royal family is really different, esteemed mother. Even from a distance, I could tell they were at a different level. They’re alphas, as I am, but they feel different, if that makes sense? The youngest, Prince Justin, was the tallest. He’s about my age, and he has a very adventurous and crafty smile. The second eldest, Prince Paulo, was the prettiest. It’s weird to find a male alpha having such feminine qualities, but he does. Although, he seems a little strict and scary with the way he handles himself._

_But the crown prince and soon to be Grand Alpha, mother. Prince Cullen is special. He is everything I thought a Grand Alpha and King should be. He seems like a strong and seasoned fighter, but he’s lithe to make me think he is speedy. And he looked soft and kind when he smiled. I pray for the gods’ blessing over him, that his rule may prosper. I see a benevolent king in our future. Gods-willing, he turns attention to smaller villages such as ours when he ascends the throne._

_I may have written too much, mother. As final words, I hope the men and alphas of the village have stocked enough for winter. Please take care of the village omegas when they have their heat during the colder days. I know you are the leader, but I can’t help but worry for them all the same._

_I’m including a small pouch of gold with this letter. It’s not much, but I hope it will help._

_Thank you, esteemed mother. I love you. I miss you. I can’t wait to make you proud._

_Little pebble,_

_Ken_

_P._ _S., May I ask for a ration of dried perinox and butterfly flowers when you write back? They would help me a lot._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ramen’s omegaverse notes: Omegaverse is an alternate universe where each person have a secondary gender at birth besides being biologically male and female. The three secondary genders—alph, beta, and omega—their ability to produce pheromones, and undergo heat is a uniting theme in omegaverse fics. However, variation still occurs from story to story and universe to universe. Some stories feature beast-like features, while others do not. This story will be of the latter kind, and the characters will have secondary genders and pheromones, but will otherwise remain human.
> 
> TPIAO omegaverse notes: 
> 
> The genders  
> Alphas, as the name implies, are considered at the top of the pecking order. They are typically born with above average skills and looks. Because of these advantages, many alphas are dominant individuals who excel in their fields. They are most sought-after for their ability to influence the other genders and force them into submission through the release of pheromones. This gift is highly-regarded among monarchs, as being able to dominate one’s subjects is considered a good index of leadership and rule.
> 
> Betas are next in the hierarchy of the secondary genders. Betas make up around 70% of the populace (alphas make up about 20%, while the rest are omegas). Because of their number, most people in the workforce are betas, and they generally possess a wide variety of skills. However, betas have weak pheromones. As such, while they are susceptible to an alpha’s influence, they do not have this same power over the lower-tiered gender, the omegas. Conversely, omega pheromones do not affect betas as intensely, even when omegas are in heat.
> 
> Omegas make up the last of the secondary genders. People of this gender are rare, such than only one in 10 people is an omega. Like alphas, omegas also possess superior looks and produce pheromones, the poignancy of which determines their fertility. However, because of their nature (that is, biologically submissive to alphas) and their incapacitation during their heat, omegas have been unfairly discriminated throughout history. They are generally seen as weak, fragile, and destined to be the tail rather than the head. In royal families, omega children are either exiled, ridiculed, or stripped of their rights to inherit for fear of being subdued.
> 
> Heat and fertility  
> Alphas and omegas have periodic cycles of fertility, where their chance of producing offspring is highest. For alphas, it is called a rut. For omegas, it is called a heat. In both scenarios, alphas and omegas produce a large amount of pheromones to attract a mate, and their urge to procreate becomes overpowering. Both alphas and omegas have low fertility rates. As such, most people of these genders take advantage of heats and ruts when they want to bear children. While it is not required, heats and ruts are typically spent with a partner. Spending a fertile period alone is either dangerous, as the inability to relieve their sexual urges can produce excess body heat and pain, if unattended, or relatively unsatisfying.
> 
> During one’s heat (or rut), the person experiences episodes is the loss of rationality. The primal instinct takes over the logical part of the brain. Thus, most men and women in heat (or a rut) lose reason and the ability to make logical decisions. Throughout the course of history, this has caused several cases of rape, unwanted pregnancies, abortion, and other related crimes, mostly on omegas. This is another reason why being an unpaired omega is typically frowned upon—an omega in heat can cause a riot among alphas and even betas. But because it is the alphas’ primal instinct, they are usually absolved of any crime, and blame has been unjustly shifted to omegas. To prevent such instances, many omegas wear iron or leather collars to keep from being bitten.
> 
> Alphas go in a rut once every few months, while omegas experience their heat every month. Both male and female alphas can impregnate omegas, and both male and female omegas can bear children. Only female betas can get pregnant.
> 
> Pairing/mating/bonding  
> Pairs (or bonds, or mates) are an alpha and omega who have created a biological bond through sexual intercourse. A bond is made when an alpha bites an omega’s neck area during sex and only when they are in heat. This act changes the pair’s biology, making their pheromones noticeable only to their partner. Thus, an omega’s pheromones will only affect their mated alpha, and vice versa. Because of the role pheromones play in the process of bonding, betas are unable to form bonds with either alphas or omegas.
> 
> A bond can only be severed if one’s mate dies.


	2. meeting a monarch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ken wonders about the prince's pheromones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter contains: some badly-written action scenes; mediocre + unproofed writing

# meeting a monarch

The sound of metal clashing, the grunts of men engaged in pseudo-combat, and the bellows from their lieutenant filled the training grounds that crisp autumn morning. Ken should have been used to the sounds and sights of their daily training, but he was not. Even after two months as a soldier in the Royal Army, being surrounded by an entire platoon of alphas and betas was still new to him.

Ken grew up in a village, after all. In their small mountainside home, there were more betas and omegas than alphas. There were also more healers than protectors and fighters, so Ken rose to the challenge of being one of the few. As a young boy, he learned to hunt, fight, and scout from the other men. As Ken grew older, he became good enough to teach the younger ones in his hometown.

The alpha loved his village. He swore to protect it and help it prosper. So, when the capital recruited soldiers to join the Royal Army and serve the monarchy, Ken did not hesitate to go. He did his best when they were tested, even standing out with his meager skills. A few months later, he was sent to the capital for training while on the job.

So far, Ken was learning more than he imagined. In a short period, he had gotten better at sword fighting than most in his platoon. His hand-to-hand, which was already excellent, was further refined. He also learned to work with dominant alphas, and study about how to become a better soldier.

All things considered, Ken thought he was living his best life. His esteemed mother, an omega and their village leader, would probably burst into tears if she saw him.

“Form! Focus on your form!” shouted their platoon leader. “You, _village boy_ , your foot is awkward. Strong toes!”

Ken shouted a short, “Yes, sir!” He was not sure if his lieutenant saw him nod while in a headlock from his sparring partner, but Ken did so anyway.

The alpha took one deep breath—his sparring partner’s pheromones signaled agitation—then put all his weight on his hips. Before the other could react, Ken pushed himself by his big toes, using his momentum to tackle his opponent. His partner lost his grip from Ken’s attack, and he toppled over to the ground with a loud thud.

“Ugh! Hey, sorry, Yasay. Did that hurt a lot?” Ken asked, coughing a little as the dust cloud settled.

“ _Crickets, Suson_ …!” Yasay groaned. “Why are you taking this too seriously?”

Ken sweatdropped.

“It’s because he’s taking it seriously that he’s beaten you, Yasay,” came a third voice. Their lieutenant, Second Lieutenant Maverick Lacson, approached with a smug grin while Ken helped the other soldier up. “Good job, village boy. You’re fighting as well as ever.”

Ken bumped a fist to the center of his chest, Athenaeas’ customary gesture of respect, and bowed low. “Sir! Thank you, sir!”

“At ease,” Lieutenant Lacson commanded. Ken immediately dropped his hand and stood to attention. “You know, Suson, you’ve only been here a few months but you’re progressing pretty fast. Keep it up and you just might make it to the King’s Guard in a few years.”

Ken smiled. He picked up his shirt that was strewn on the dusty ground and wore it over his sweaty body. “I, ah, am actually aiming to be a ranger, sir. It would be an honor to serve the Grand Alpha, but I think I’m better off working behind the curtains.”

Lieutenant Lacson smirked. “You’re an alpha, aren’t you?”

“Yes, sir. I am, sir.”

“You sure don’t act like one.”

“Er… I’ll take that as a compliment, sir.”

“With the alphas I know, it is, soldier.” He nodded to Ken. “The prince would be delighted to see how raw and uninhibited you fight.”

“The prince, lieutenant?”

“Yep,” he replied. “He’ll be coming in to see the newbies this morning. Prince Cullen is meticulous when it comes to training the army. He’s a fighter himself, so he’s pretty hard to please.”

“He sounds like a scary man.”

Lieutenant Lacson grimaced. “The princes _are_. Well, except maybe for Prince Justin. He’s a sweet fellow… Anyway, a few things about your technique—”

The lieutenant began giving Ken pointers about his fighting. He gave detailed observations, and Ken devoured his new knowledge with gusto. Lieutenant Lacson often told him it was this determination that made Ken a quick study. Ken always believed it was because his lieutenant was thorough.

With new instructions from his officer, Ken withdrew from the other soldiers to practice by himself.

He was still in the middle of his training when one of the men came around shouting, “ _The Crown Prince is coming_! _The Crown Prince is on his way here_!”

Like a thunderclap booming across the enclosed arena, the loud announcement made the soldiers explode in a buzz of whispers and murmurs. The pheromones lingering in the air quickly shifted from tired to agitated to excited. Even Ken was not exempt from joining in on the soldiers’ conversation.

“I hear the Crown Prince is the strongest alpha in Aethen!” said one of the men.

“Yeah. And I also heard Prince Cullen’s pheromones can force all other alphas to submission with a mere glance!” said another.

“Everyone in the capital knows the prince is the most well-learned among the monarchs. Even Prince Paulo can’t beat him!” quipped a third soldier.

“Alright! Settle down, you lot!” Lieutenant Lacson shouted. His men hurried to their formation. Ken strode to the front row. “It’s not like you’re asking the Crown Prince for his hand in marriage!”

Ken fought back a chuckle.

“Now! The Crown Prince might be right outside those doors,” he shouted, pointing to the entrance made up of thick wooden slabs held together by cast iron. “He’s here to scrutinize you as a bunch. So, show your best form, you bunch of novices! I won’t have you lot embarrassing me. Impress the prince with how much your training has done! _Got it_?”

“ _Sir_! _Yes, sir_!” Ken shouted along with the other soldiers. The sound was so loud, it seemed to make the air around the training arena vibrate.

The collective bellow from the soldiers had only dissipated when a loud _clunk_ followed it. All heads turned in the direction of the door on one end of the arena. The men, already standing alert, tensed as they anticipated its opening. Then, without forewarning, it opened, and in came three men followed by an entourage.

_Ah, it’s them_ , Ken mused to himself, watching as the figures approach their platoon. Even without knowing, Ken could tell the monarchs apart from their guards and retainers at a mere glance.

The princes walked slowly and with grace toward Lieutenant Lacson. To Ken, it was like watching a parade at the Harvest Festival. The monarchs’ movements were so fluid, they might as well have been floating than walking. Dust parted on the ground as they walked as if knowing who trod upon them.

A singular figure in a flowing black robe as dark as raven’s feathers broke away from the group first, flanked by two iron-clad knights. The man had a crop of black hair atop a small and pale face. The Crown Prince, Prince Cullen, spared the group of soldiers a glance as he walked. Following the Crown Prince were the two other princes, the beautiful but stern Prince Paulo and the cheerful and smiling Prince Justin. They, too, were surrounded by the King’s Guard and their royal retainers.

His Highness stopped beside Lieutenant Lacson, who bowed low, a fist to his chest.

“My princes,” the lieutenant greeted.

“Lift your head, Lieutenant Lacson,” Prince Cullen spoke. His voice was not deep, but powerful, nonetheless. It was the commanding voice expected of an alpha. “Let us forgo propriety for now. After all, were we not good friends at the academy?”

“As you wish,” the lieutenant answered. He raised his head at once and gave the prince a familiar smile. “It’s been a while, Cullen.”

“Indeed, a while, Maverick.” The prince regarded the tense group of foot soldiers standing tensely in front of them. He frowned. “Maverick, it reeks of pheromones in here.”

“Ah…” Lieutenant Lacson chuckled, scratching the back of his head. “We were training when we heard you were coming. We apologize for the stench. Please understand, we do not mean any disrespect.”

The soldiers tensed. Producing pheromones in the presence of an older or higher-ranked alpha was considered rude. To intentionally spread them in the presence of a member of the royal family was almost equivalent to slapping them with an ungloved hand.

Prince Cullen lifted one white palm from underneath his robe. His pallid fingers were short and bony, but he moved them with an elegance that Ken could not help but stare at.

“ _Vester_ ,” he called to one of his companions, “my flask?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” answered a man.

Vester was the tall and skittish-looking retainer in a dark brown robe. He had silky ebony hair, a long and friendly face, a large mole on his cheek, and a jaw that could cut diamonds. But what caught Ken’s attention about the man was that he moved about His Highness with familiarity. The Crown Prince’s guards moved to give Vester way as he produced a shiny silver flask from under his robes.

Vester handed it to the prince who unscrewed and drank from it.

“Thank you, Vester.”

“My pleasure, Your Highness.”

Prince Cullen turned back to the lieutenant and his men. “Apologies, Maverick. My throat was a little dry.”

“It has been quite cold recently. Please take care of yourself.”

“I am made of stronger material, Maverick. You know that.” The prince said, smirking. His eyes glinted under the sun. Prince Cullen looked at Ken’s group again and continued, “I am at least made of stronger stuff than your green-horns?”

“I don’t doubt that, Cullen,” Lieutenant Lacson agreed. “But I think we’ve got a good crop this year.” Ken swallowed when the lieutenant looked straight at him.

“Well, the second platoon said something similar. And yet, they did not hold their own against Paulo. Such a shame, do you not think?”

“A shame,” the lieutenant answered. “But not mine.”

“Hm… We shall see.”

The prince untied his robe. Just before it fell to the ground, Vester and another retainer from their group caught it, almost as if they expected the prince’s actions.

Beneath the robe, Prince Cullen wore a black coat with the golden insignia of the royal family pinned to its collar. The cloth hugged his muscled body, and anyone with eyes would know the prince had an attractive physique.

Ken swallowed.

Adjusting his cuffs, the prince said, “So, Maverick. Shall I test out where your pride comes from?”

The other man nodded.

“ _Village boy_ ,” he called out. He turned and looked straight at Ken. “The prince wishes to spar with you.”

“ _M-Me_?!” Ken said, louder than he ought to. A few men sniggered, and Ken even saw Prince Justin fight back a smile. “Ah, I mean… Your Highness, it-it shall be my honor.” Then, Ken bowed with his right fist to his chest.

“Maverick, your recruits are getting weirder and weirder,” Prince Cullen mumbled under his breath, but still loud enough to make the crowd chuckle.

He stepped forward in front of Ken, sleeves rolled back. At that proximity, Ken could see his deep brown eyes, thick lashes, and even thicker eyebrows. With how he held himself, he was surely a monarch. His gaze was intense, and if Ken could smell his pheromones, he was sure he would cower.

Curiously, Ken could not smell anything from the prince.

“How are you with the sword, soldier?” His Highness asked.

Ken blinked, surprised he was being regarded. “I am decent at it, Your Highness,” he answered, distracted by his wayward thoughts.

“Hm… shall we put that to the test?” he asked. Prince Cullen took a step back, drew his short sword from its scabbard, and swished it at his sides like a seasoned fighter. “Whenever you are ready, _little one_.”

_All due respect, Your Highness, we are about the same height_ , Ken thought in his head. But out loud, he shouted an affirmative, “Yes, sir!”

The soldier bowed, then picked up one of the practice swords from their armory.

* * *

“ _Eyes on your enemy, soldier_!”

But before Ken could even blink, the prince was already thrusting the sword in Ken’s direction, aiming right between his eyes. The soldier could only think fast enough to duck out of the way as the sword’s swish reverberated in his ear.

The blade cut the tip of Ken’s fringe.

_Dangerous_!

Ken countered, swinging his weapon at the prince. The monarch jumped back in time and with unbelievable grace that Ken’s sword hit the ground with a loud _clang_.

“Good!” shouted Prince Cullen. Then, he moved forward to hit Ken in the face.

The soldier ducked to dodge Prince Cullen’s elbow.

Cheers were riotous from the soldiers around them, but Ken could not even hear. His eardrums thumped from the wild heartbeat in his chest. As expected, His Highness was quick on his spindly-looking but tough legs, and he held his sword like a third arm. They had only been sparring for a minute, but it was obvious Ken was on the losing end. His pulse was racing at an abnormal rate. Meanwhile, his opponent barely looked disheveled as he danced from foot to foot, pursuing Ken without breaking a sweat.

But the soldier was dogged, even at a disadvantage. If not his pride, then his alpha instincts refused to give up without a fight. When the prince attacked again, Ken brought his sword up and caught Prince Cullen’s blade.

Their swords clashed in front of their faces, trembling from the force they held them with.

“Not bad, soldier,” the monarch said, smiling.

“I—uh… Thank you, Your Highness,” Ken replied, grunting. How the prince could look so calm at the situation was as much of a marvel as his smile. A flawless set of teeth flashed in front of Ken.

The soldier only blinked for a second as the grin caught him off-guard. Seizing the opportunity, His Highness pushed Ken backward, and the speed forced Ken’s unsteady hands to fumble.

The sword flew in a steady arc into the air before anyone could realize what was happening.

_Clang-ka-clang_!

Ken fell on his bottom on the dirt. From a distance, he could hear his sword land as well. The cheering crowd became silent.

The next thing Ken knew, the prince’s sword was pointed at his neck.

“Do you yield, _little one_?” he asked, his stance showing no trace of backing down. “Do you submit?”

Ken watched the prince looking down at him with his back to the sun, the shadow of his glory covering the soldier in his defeat. Part of him was in awe at the danger and grace his position afforded him. Ken’s heartbeat grew louder in his ears.

But the more primitive part of Ken despised the thought of submission. His primal instinct rebelled against his enemy—prince or not—and Ken’s body tensed. A low growl rumbled in his chest as the alpha in him won over for a second.

“ _No_ ,” Ken said. His voice was deep, gravelly, and defiant.

The prince gasped quietly. A slight tremble shook his fingers.

Finding an opening, Ken deflected the sword with his bare arm. He quickly jumped on his feet, lunging at the stunned Prince Cullen.

Ken turned the tables. He grabbed on to the prince’s waist before tackling him to the ground. The force sent both of them tumbling on the dust and rubble. Having the upper hand, Ken held the prince down by his shoulders, pressing his body into his opponent’s to trap him where he lay.

Loud gasps echoed through the training area. Ken sat on the Crown Prince’s chest, both hands on his shoulders.

Prince Cullen’s eyes grew wide in shock. Ken watched the color on his pale face flush to crimson, and he wheezed. With their bodies so close together, Ken could feel his heart thump against his chest, like a hare trapped in a hunter’s snare.

A faint but sweet smell wafted in the air around them.

_A delicious smell,_ Ken thought, fingers wandering to the prince’s delicate and pale neck.

“ _Suson_!” came a loud command.

Ken snapped out of his trance. His face was so close to His Highness that their noses touched. His hands were elsewhere, roaming and greedy to touch.

Someone—another soldier or two—dragged Ken off the prince faster than he could think. As soon as he was off, the King’s Guard and Prince Paulo came to lift a gasping Prince Cullen to his feet. A panicked Vester followed forward, pulling the prince’s flask from his person to hand it to the monarch.

Prince Cullen took large swigs of whatever liquid was inside.

“What the heck are you doing releasing your pheromones against the Crown Prince, you dimwit?!” hissed Lieutenant Lacson, hitting the back of Ken’s head. “Apologize right away! You imbecile!”

“ _Argh_!” Ken cried, realizing what had just happened.

He ran to where Prince Cullen was being fussed over. Ken dropped to his knees, head down and fist to his chest.

“Your Highness! My prince! Forgive my insolence! I was careless!” he yelped.

Only the second prince’s steely glare met Ken’s pleading. It was not so much Prince Paulo’s imposing pheromones as it was his intimidating look that bowed Ken into submission.

Indeed, an alpha from the royal family could not be disobeyed.

The soldier did not contest the oppressive force the prince lorded over him. He whimpered like a wounded animal.

“Broth— _Paulo_ …!” came Prince Cullen’s choked out voice. “Stand down…!”

Prince Paulo flinched. He turned his back, leaving Ken as if he were nothing but scum.

“Are you okay now, brother?” he asked, his voice thick with concern.

“I’m fine. I just need—”

“Are you well enough to walk? Do I need to carry you?”

“Know your place, Paulo!” Prince Cullen snapped, his voice far from threatening but still having the weight of a Crown Prince’s command. The second prince seemed to deflate, but Ken could see his body tense at the remark.

His Highness stood, looking fevered and trying to be put-together.

“Maverick,” he called out in a mere whisper.

“Your Highness… My sincerest apologies—”

“Understood,” Prince Cullen interrupted with a forced and pained smile. “Your recruit… is a strong one.”

Lieutenant Lacson only nodded, unable to respond.

“Dismissed…”

The prince hurried to turn his heel. He wobbled in his walk, like a newborn calf, and Prince Paulo and Vester came to his aid. They murmured among themselves as they exited the arena.

Ken could only watch in horrified silence, the consequences of his actions falling on him like a dire veil.

Even as the prince left, Ken could smell it: the lingering smell of Prince Cullen’s pheromones. Only, Ken wondered how an alpha’s essence could be so sweet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope the fight scenes turned out well >.<


	3. dabbling in dangerous deeds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ken does something he shouldn't have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: R18 scene
> 
> chapter contains: heats; palaces; secrets; mediocre + unproofed writing

# dabbling in dangerous deeds

_Heat_.

Scorching heat.

Heat that made even his bones throb in his muscles. Heat that stung his skin and burned his loins.

Josh woke with a suffocated gasp, sweat drenching his shirt and making it stick to his fevered skin. After the episode with the alpha soldier earlier that day, Josh anticipated the visit. But it hit him just the same. No amount of preparation could completely shield him from his enemy within. In a little while, he would be in pain, courtesy of his own cursed body.

The pained prince groped the bedside table for his medication, his temperature rising by the second.

Nothing.

_Curses_.

“ _Vester_ …!” came his weak croak.

There was no reply.

Gods help him. His suffering will take a while.

* * *

Athenaeas is a kingdom rich from her export of gold, copper, and medicinal plants. Despite being landlocked and far from trade routes, the country is rich in natural resources from the lush mountain ranges protecting its North. She is one of the most bountiful kingdoms in the continent, and her capital, Aethen, has been given honorary distinctions from the Emperor for its governance. Having reaped from the benevolence of her previous Grand Alphas, the capital is ensured for prosperity in the generations to come.

Knowing all these, Ken should not have been surprised at the size of the Royal Palace. Yet, he still was. After walking its numerous halls for just a few hours, Ken still could not believe how enormous it was.

_Five floors, more than three hundred rooms, about a thousand doors and windows, and three tall towers to guard,_ Ken recounted in his head. The map he held in his hand was inked to the smallest detail, but it did not do justice to the glory of Aethen’s palace.

_No wonder they need so many soldiers guarding the estate. It’s a huge territory_!

Lieutenant Lacson had dismissed his platoon as soon as the princes left the training arena. After what happened in the sparring fiasco, he took Ken aside and scolded him until the younger soldier’s ears hurt.

Ken understood the gravity of his actions. He had been negligent. Almost harming the Crown Prince and allowing his pheromones to leak was equivalent to challenging the monarch’s rule. Ken was glad his punishment was not any direr, and he was just sentenced to survey the entire castle’s entry and exit points. Then, he must submit a comprehensive report to the lieutenant, along with a proposed update in their security plan.

The soldier was unsure if Lieutenant Lacson thinks a newbie of Ken’s rank can produce a good security plan, or Ken was just given a tedious task to reflect on his actions. Regardless, he could not complain. It was either that or being exiled for the attempted murder of their monarch. The latter did not seem like a good option.

And Ken quite liked the castle. He had lived in a small Southern village all his life. He had never once seen such a massive structure, adorned with extravagant decorations from floor to ceiling.

Ken walked along the hallways with diligence. He admired the bust sculptures, vases, and random trinkets lining the halls. Sunlight burst into multi-colored rays as it filtered through the stained-glass windows. The maroon-carpeted floor muted the sound of his boots as he continued his exploration.

Two roving King’s Guard passed Ken with scrutinizing looks; he showed them his letter from the Lieutenant to pass. With their presence, the soldier guessed he must be getting close to the Royal Family’s wing.

_Okay. So, two more stained-glass windows on this end_ , Ken noted in his mind. _I think this amount of decoration is a little too much._

Ken continued to walk. The path was leading inward. Instead of stained-glass, he noticed that the hallways going to the center of the palace were decorated with portraits of important-looking people. Past Grand Alphas and emperors seemed to watch Ken from their pictures as he walked by.

The soldier was just wondering how much gold was used to plate the frames when he noticed a figure going in the same direction as him further ahead. The figure was masculine, Ken noted as he got closer. He was wearing a billowy white top and black trousers. Barefoot, he stood close to the walls, walking slowly like he was in pain.

And then, Ken noticed the smell. The sweetness from earlier in the morning struck Ken like a light beam in the darkened hallway.

“M-My prince?” Ken called out.

The figure flinched as if the name had stabbed him like a knife to the back.

“I’m fine…” came the response. So, it was the prince. Prince Cullen.

“My prince, are you alri—”

_What in the world_?

Ken only took a few steps forward, but the scent became twice as strong. It was sweet, like the smell of flower petals over warm water, or dew upon the grass at sunrise. But it was thick and heavy. It was fearful, restless, and panicked. Ken felt it like a wet blanket draped over his head, suffocating him and making it impossible to breathe.

Ken knew the feeling too well. He had helped several omegas in heat back at their village. What he could not understand was why Prince Cullen’s pheromones smelled so much like an omega’s.

The alpha’s mouth watered. Heat began to pulse all over his body. Even his own pheromones began to react to the prince’s natural perfume.

His Highness jumped. He stopped staggering, then turned back to Ken.

“Y-You…” he whispered, face flushed and pained.

Ken was rooted in his spot, both sides of his mind battling in his head.

“I… am well… I do not need help,” he gasped. But the prince trembled, and his legs almost gave out.

_He needs help_ , was Ken’s immediate thought. _He’s in heat_.

Ken’s more rational mind won over. He pulled out his handkerchief and tied it to cover his nose. Then, he took a huge gulp of air before marching to the prince.

Prince Cullen watched him in horror.

“Don’t come—!”

“Your chambers, Your Highness?” Ken asked, ignoring the prince. He lifted him up in his arms without so much as a grunt. The prince shivered when Ken’s fingers brushed his skin, unable to fight back in his heat state. “Please, let me help.”

They stayed like that for a moment. Ken could feel the prince’s tension and embarrassment in his pheromones.

He said, “Two doors down…”

Ken stomped forward, trying to ignore the pleasant warmth in his arms. He stopped in front of two large doors coated in dark brown lacquer with a golden knob. Without much difficulty, he entered and closed the door behind him, crossed the small antechamber, then went through another set of doors. They emerged into a much larger room colored white and gold with brown and maroon furniture.

There was no time for Ken to admire the luxurious decorations and intricate designs on the fixtures. Prince Cullen’s chamber was thick with his pheromones and it made Ken’s entire body throb. The alpha only had enough sense in him to walk to the four-poster bed and place the prince on the soft mattress.

“Please stay here,” Ken said. He breathed in— _such a pleasant smell_ —and held his breath again. “Your retainer. Shall I call him?”

Prince Cullen attempted to get up.

“Vester…” he said weakly. “ _I need Vester_ …”

“I shall call him, your Highness. Please stay here.”

Ken stood and turned his back. He began to make his way back out to the antechamber.

But then, the prince cried. Ken heard the pained whimper just as it escaped the prince’s lips. From his pheromones, Ken could tell the prince was deeply distressed.

“ _Ngh…_!”

Perhaps it was Ken’s alpha nature. Perhaps it was his human side. But when he turned back around to see the prince thrashing on the bed, the soldier could not help but feel sad for him. Ken knew an omega’s ordeal when they are in heat. He had seen it a thousand times, and it was usually painful if ignored. Prince Cullen seemed to be in a struggle between relieving himself and waiting for the worst of his pain to pass.

“ _Curses_ …!” Prince Cullen hissed. He began to press his palm on his crotch, looking conflicted as he did so. “ _Gods—mmh_!”

_The Crown Prince will banish me_ , Ken thought. _Prince Cullen will have me executed before sundown_.

Ken gave himself a mental scolding, then he walked back.

“My prince…” Ken said when he was kneeling at the prince’s bedside. He let out his pheromones, intent to help the omega prince calm down. “My prince, let me?”

Prince Cullen’s tear-streaked eyes went as wide as saucers.

“ _Leave…_!”

“My prince—”

“ _I said_ , lea—”

Ken bit his lip then tried to calm the prince again. As he released more of his pheromones, gentle and calming, he gently pushed the prince back down to the mattress.

Ken ran his hand from the monarch’s forehead to his crown.

“I know it’s painful. _Shh_ ,” Ken whispered, pleading into the rich brown eyes staring straight at him. “Let me help…”

The Crown Prince’s eyes fluttered. Tears escaped from the corners.

“ _Al_ … _pha_ …” he said in a distinct voice.

“I know.”

Ken joined the prince on the bed. The other man looked like he wanted to fight but knew he was at a loss. Ken was a little scared, too. But he pushed the fear aside. His need to make the omega feel better won him over, and he did not hesitate to gather the prince to his side.

Prince Cullen turned his back to Ken, seeming to hate being held, but he did not push the soldier away when he wrapped one arm around him.

The other hand began to palm his erection.

“ _Ha_!” the monarch gasped. One pale and trembling hand held Ken’s wrist in a bruising grip.

Even in heat, the prince was strong.

“I apologize, Your Highness. But you have to release—”

“S-Slow…” the prince hissed. “ _Slowly_.”

“Yes, my prince,” Ken whispered against his bright red ear. The omega prince buried his head into the pillow. “I apologize, my prince. Please excuse me.”

The prince fisted the white sheets. One of his hands clutched his linen like a lifeline, while the other continued to grip Ken’s wrist.

Ken took a deep breath, being in better control, and slipped his hand into the prince’s loose trousers. The hot moisture inside the cloth greeted him; it was soaked with slick.

“Beg your pardon, Your Highness,” he said, then he wrapped his hand around the prince’s thick girth.

Ken swallowed.

“ _Ngh_ …”

Ken began to work. He moved his hand, slowly at first, until the prince became more used to his stranger touch. The man in his arms trembled and groaned. Prince Cullen tried to keep his composure, Ken could feel it, but when the soldier moved his hands faster, the prince curled his toes in response.

The prince began to buck his hips. Ken could tell Prince Cullen was close when his belly and thighs began to quiver. His tension was wearing away.

“ _Ah_! _A-Alpha…_!”

“I’m here—”

“ _Co—ah_! _Alpha_ …”

“I know…”

His Highness’s grip was too tight around Ken’s wrist, but he was guiding Ken to where he felt the most pleasure. The alpha followed his lead, fisting the prince with intensity.

Ken had only thrust a few more times when Prince Cullen closed his legs and trembled. Tremors rocked his body, and he exploded in Ken’s hand without warning.

The alpha slowed his movements, easing the prince into his orgasm. Ken could feel the thick white seed mixing with the slick in his hand. When he was done, he pulled out his hand.

Prince Cullen let out a satisfied groan.

His experience helping omegas in heat taught Ken that cuddling helped to calm them down. Alpha pheromones help relax them in heat. He did not think the prince would be an exception, so Ken wiped his hand on his pants and pulled the prince into a back hug.

Prince Cullen did relax. His breathing slowed, and his temperature was not as feverish. There was still a noticeable lump on his crotch, and he would have to come a few more times to feel better, but Ken could tell it was not as bad as before. The prince must not have been able to find release before Ken arrived. The soldier could only imagine the pain he was in.

But beyond that, a thousand questions were barraging the soldier’s mind. He decided to put them off for the moment.

Ken was still comforting the omega when he suddenly said, “Leave me...”

“Your Highness?”

The monarch pulled away, his hair sticking to the back of his sweaty neck.

“Leave me,” he said in a distinct whisper.

“Your Highness, you’re not—”

“ _I... am fine_ ,” he repeated with more emphasis. “ _I am ordering you to leave me_.”

No soldier can defy their Crown Prince’s direct order.

Against his will, Ken bolted up and bowed to the prince with his fist to his chest. “As you wish, Your Highness. Forgive me, Your Highness.”

“Just go…”

Ken walked out of the bedroom, ignoring the prince’s irritated hiss and the returning heat. It was no longer his concern. He was just a soldier, after all. A mere pawn in the grand scheme of things.

Somehow, that hurt him a little.

He got out to the antechamber. A tall man in simple indoor clothes greeted him at the door. The man had strong but kind features and a unique mole to the side of his face. Vester looked like he had been standing outside the prince’s bedroom for a little while, just waiting. He gave Ken an unreadable blank expression, carrying a jug and a flask in his hands.

“S-Sir…” Ken blurted out.

Vester donned a look of understanding.

“Are you finished?” Vester asked him.

Ken nodded. “His Highness… is better.”

“I see. Thank you. We’ll see you soon.”

“Oh. No need, sir—”

“ _We’ll see you_ ,” he insisted. Ken could tell he was really saying, “ _We’ll find you_.”

“Y-Yes, sir,” he answered.

“Look forward to it,” Vester added. But he meant, “ _If you escape, I will have you assassinated_.”

Then, Vester walked past and into the room filled with Ken’s and the prince’s pheromones.

When the door closed behind him, Ken slowly realized two things. One, the prince was an omega, and it was a secret not known to many. Vester, the retainer, knew. Perhaps, so did the other princes. Ken was an unwilling addition to that list.

Two, by discovering that secret, Ken was as good as a man going to the gallows. He might as well have started a revolution against the Crown Prince. Everyone knew no kingdom wanted an omega as King. Not only were they susceptible to influence by other alpha leaders, but omegas were also generally looked down upon. Aethen will be a thing of ridicule in the empire.

Ken stood rooted in his spot.

Somehow, he did not feel like going out at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> seriously, i can’t write smut. i'm sorry.


	4. a mutual agreement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> josh calls ken in for an arrangement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter contains: mediocre + unproofed writing

# a mutual agreement

_“That’s completely unnecessary, Vester…” the prince complained. If Josh were not having his pre-heat, he would have shouted._

_The retainer sighed after setting down a thick glass cup on the bedside drawer._

_“Josh, I’m telling you this because I know your medication isn’t working as well anymore. We need to find a better alternative.”_

_“And you mean_ that _alpha? He’s an alternative?”_

_Vester threw his hands in the air._

_“I don’t know…!” cried his friend. “I don’t know, Josh… At this point, I just want to try something that will help you better than brewed herbs.”_

_Josh’s temples were throbbing in his head. His body was still a little warm, and he could feel the last bits of his arousal caressing his body. Even if he wanted to tell Vester that he was fine, the medicine was working, his own body betrayed him… as it always had since he was sixteen._

_Vester took one look at the Crown Prince then knelt on the floor beside his bed._

_“Josh… Your coronation is happening in less than a year. More than anybody,_ I _want to see you be crowned as king,” Vester told him. “But your sporadic heats are still a problem. And medicine can only do so much to stabilize your condition.”_

_Josh looked away, unable to say anything back._

_“But don’t write my suggestion off, okay? I’m saying this as your friend, not as your retainer. Think about it.”_

“Is there something wrong, brother?” came Paulo’s worried question from the other end of the study.

Josh looked up from signing the documents on his writing desk, then he gave the other prince a hesitant smile.

“I’m fine, Paulo…” Josh replied.

“Is it your heat?” Paulo asked.

“That was my pre-heat, brother. That’s why I’ve been a little sluggish and overeating these past few days.”

“Then, your heat will be coming soon, I suppose?”

Josh nodded. “I suppose. I’ll have to go back up the cabin when it happens. I’ll depend on you to send my work there.”

“You know you can just divide your duties with me, right?”

“I’m Crown Prince, Paulo,” Josh reminded him. “I have to get used to this much because I can’t depend on anyone else once I’m King.”

“You know you can always count on me, Josh…”

Paulo pressed, a serious look on his face. Josh did not respond but went back to staring at the documents in front of him.

It had already been two days since the incident with the alpha soldier. Every time images of the affair flashed in Josh’s head, his stomach would tighten with worry. How could he have been so careless? His being an omega was a secret kept by only a handful of individuals in the entire empire. To have a mere soldier find out—and all because of Josh’s neglect—was inconvenient, at best.

It was a blessing that the said soldier seemed sympathetic. He did nothing more than relieve Josh once, and he seemed to have been silent about it as well. If the lack of rumors were anything to go by, then that man was keeping Josh’s secret to himself.

So, the alpha was not only selfless. He was sensible, too.

And warm. _Very warm_. In his pre-heat state, Josh burned when the alpha’s fingers brushed against his bare skin.

“Brother? Josh? Are you okay?” Paulo asked again, more concern in his voice.

“Ah. Sorry, brother. What?”

“Your pheromones… They’re leaking.”

Josh flinched.

_Not again._

He hurried to grab the flask from his desk drawer and drank from it. The minty and bitter liquid scratched his tongue like stale ale. Even after years of drinking his suppressant medication, he still could not get used to its acrid taste.

_Thunk_! _Thunk_!

Two heavy knocks on the wooden door interrupted the Crown Prince’s musings. He glanced at Paulo who looked as surprised as he was. Unless the Emperor was coming for an unannounced visit, none of their servants disturbed the two princes while they worked and studied.

It must have been an urgent matter.

“Enter,” Josh called out, straightening his back.

The heavy wooden door opened. Vester’s meek figure came through the door with a bow. He had his hand to his fist in greeting as he addressed the monarchs.

“My princes…”

“What have you for us, Vester?” Paulo asked.

Vester looked up. His eyes flitting from Paulo to Josh and back again.

“Er… I came with Prince Cullen’s visitor, Prince Paulo.”

“Visitor?” came Paulo’s suspicious question. He looked at Josh. “ _Who_?”

_Ah. It must be him._

“Brother,” Josh began. “Please leave me for a little while.”

Paulo’s eyebrows furrowed.

“To do what?”

“It is my business, brother,” replied Josh. “I shall tell you afterward. For now, I request some privacy.”

The younger prince stared. Paulo had the bad habit of breathing down Josh’s neck about private affairs. He was being protective, and Josh usually chalked it off to his alpha nature, but sometimes the second prince gets too overbearing. It was as if he did not trust Josh to be able to do things by himself.

But Josh was unyielding. As Paulo stared at him, the Crown Prince just stared back with equal stubbornness. The two of them had an unwritten understanding. Second genders aside, Josh was and will always be the eldest. Paulo could not defy him.

The alpha prince gave a loud sigh. Then, he stood up, his chair screeching as he pushed it back without bothering for grace.

He walked out.

As soon as Paulo was gone, Vester ushered another man in. He had a neat crop of black hair that he tied in a half-bun. Wearing the dark green, black, and gold ensemble of the Royal Army, he lumbered into the King’s Study with his head down. The soldier looked a little tired and listless, judging from how his shoulders slumped, but he held himself with a form that would make his lieutenant proud.

And his pheromones. Josh ignored the agitation that laced the man’s perfume. Instead, he focused on the allure of smoke and pine, of spice and forest wood. The scent took Josh to a nostalgic place.

He stopped at the center of the room, facing Josh’s writing desk in front of the large window. Behind him, Vester closed the door after doing a curtsy.

The soldier bowed and put a fist to his chest in greeting.

“My prince,” came a deep voice. “I am humbled to be in your presence.”

Josh grabbed a few pieces of paper from the side and put it in front of him. He looked over the files again, staring at the man’s name: ‘ _Kendrik Suson_ ’.

The prince noted, “You are from Jed?”

Kendrik looked up, confusion written on his face. He seemed to question why they were talking about his personal information all of a sudden but held his tongue.

“Yes, Your Highness… From a small mountainside village called Evlyn.”

“I see… Your town’s main product is culinary spices and medicinal herbs. Though, their exports have been slow in the past years.”

“Ah… Yes, my prince,” the soldier replied. “Ours is a small village. We are… mostly left alone, being so far off from the capital.”

“Hm… So is that why you have come this far north instead of helping back home?” Josh pushed. “For fame? Glory? Spoils?”

Kendrik shifted, growing uncomfortable.

“Er… I wish to be among the Army’s rangers, Your Highness. And with the gold I earn, perhaps I can help my village as well.”

_Selfless, indeed_.

Josh held his face blank, trying to mask the admiration he had for the young soldier.

He said, “I shall send rations to your village monthly. And I will make sure Jed is included in our agricultural development programs.”

“M-My prince?”

“I will give you what you want.”

“What I want…?”

“In exchange…”

“In… exchange, sire?”

“Stop parroting me, soldier. It is undignified.”

“Apologies, Your Highness.”

Josh stopped a chuckle from leaving his lips. What a funny fellow.

“In exchange, soldier,” Josh paused for emphasis, “you will be my heat partner.”

Kendrik looked up.

The silence grew so loud, Josh could hear the alpha breathing.

One second.

Two seconds.

“Heat… partner, Your Highness?”

“You are to relieve me and care for me whenever I have my heat. And I will do as promised to your home village.”

A few more seconds passed.

Kendrik turned red.

“You mean—You’re saying that I’ll—”

The stutter and immediate shift to informal language would have been cute if Josh were in the mood for it. But he was not.

“Kendrik.”

“ _Ken_. Please call me ‘Ken’, my prince.”

“ _Ken_ ,” Josh humored. “By Autumn next year, I am to be crowned as king. Finally, after twenty years of collecting dust, there shall be one who sits on the throne of Athenaeas. Everyone looks to me as the future, their Grand Alpha…

“Except, as you know, I am _not_ an alpha. I am…” Josh breathed before he continued, “I am not who they expect. And if they find out, it may start civil unrest. Do you know why?”

Ken looked like he did not want to answer but could not ignore his prince’s question. In a hushed voice, he said, “Because… of an omega’s characteristics, sir.”

“Because being an omega is a weakness, soldier,” Josh corrected him. “An omega cannot be a leader. An omega cannot carry the burdens of an entire kingdom on his frail shoulders. And an omega is born to be subject to alphas. These are opinions taken as facts, Ken.”

The soldier was quiet.

“If other countries find out the next king of Athenaeas is a mere omega, they might see it to reflect the entire kingdom’s weakness. They might think less of Her, look down on Her, or we might lose important alliances that have helped us for the past years we have had no king. Worse, they might try to subdue _me_ to take over _Her_.

“Centuries, generations, families, and people ride on these shoulders,” Josh explained. “I cannot betray them, soldier.”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

“It is my promise and duty as heir to the throne. I wish to serve this kingdom because I love Her,” the prince continued. “But with this body of mine—this cursed animal—it makes it hard to focus on being king when I am preoccupied with my heat. I need to find a way to tame it because I can no longer fight it on my own.

“Do you understand what I’m saying, soldier?”

“I… do, sir.”

The soldier looked down, deep in thought. Josh was not able to get a good look at him the first two times they crossed paths, but as he looked up, Josh thought his brown eyes were beautiful. They were the color of wood, like the way his pheromones smelled.

Ken’s hesitant gaze caught the prince’s.

“You look like you have something on your mind.”

“Ah… Beg your pardon, Your Highness. I just…” Ken licked his lips. “May I ask a question?”

Josh leaned forward.

“Speak.”

Ken kept staring into Josh’s eyes.

“Why… me?”

_Indeed, why you_? Josh was asking Vester and himself the same thing.

There were many other alphas Josh could ask. Even before, there was no shortage of heat nurses around the capital whom the palace could pay to do the same thing. So why this soldier? Why this stranger to the capital who had no other pedigree besides being an alpha? Why did Josh agree to Vester’s proposal when there were other options they could try?

Maybe he had gone mad. Maybe Josh’s heat had finally worn down his rational brain, and he was acting without thinking.

Maybe he was just desperate.

Instead of answering, the prince asked, “Do you love your country, Ken?”

“More than my life, Your Highness,” the soldier answered with confidence.

“Do you love the crown?”

“I pledge my loyalty to you, Your Highness.”

“Do you serve the king?”

Ken hesitated at that, knowing what his answer would mean.

For a brief moment, Josh thought the soldier would decline him. Ken seemed to take his time thinking about what he will reply.

But then the soldier got down on one knee, bowing with his fist to his chest.

“Please… use me… as you will, Your Highness,” Ken replied in a slow, broken sentence. Then, his pheromones hinted at his resignation without a trace of malice or deceit.

Josh let out a silent sigh. Of relief or unease, the prince could not tell. But he knew their agreement would start drastic changes down the road. Destruction or salvation, whichever road it led, he did not know. All Josh knew was he will choose to trust the alpha whose mellow scent reminded him of the lush forest and deep woods.

Why that comforted him so much, Josh could not tell. He guessed he will find out in his gamble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ken is not kendrik in real life, but i took the liberty of giving him an alternate name because... well... because i can. kendrik means royal ruler or royal chieftain :))))
> 
> if you're curious, josh's full name in this fic is Josiah Cullen Czar Anton of Athenaeas. as a family, the princes' last name is aethen, which is the reason why the capital is so-called. the royal family of aethen has ruled over athenaeas for generations, although this will be the first time that an eldest omega will inherit the throne (unbeknown to everyone else)!
> 
> anyway, please let me know how you're enjoying the fic so far. thank you very much <3


	5. heat in autumn (alpha's perspective)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ken changes his mind about the omega

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter contains: heavy, heavy narrations; R18 scenes; heats; hawks; introspection; mediocre + unproofed writing

# heat in autumn (alpha's perspective)

Once a month for an entire week since he turned sixteen, the Crown Prince is known to retreat to an undisclosed location. There, he is said to meditate and purify himself in preparation for his coronation. Everyone in Athenaeas lauded the prince for his dedication. After twenty years of having no king, they looked forward to a Grand Alpha who was devoted to his duties and respectful to his own title.

And Ken understood it. The way the people heralded their Crown Prince’s kingliness before he even ascended the throne only showed how thirsty they have been for a leader. Ken could also understand how much of a burden it was to have so many lives depend on the crown. So, Ken could understand why the truth behind Prince Cullen’s monthly retreats were hidden from the very people he swore to protect.

In reality, the prince does not retreat to meditate and purify himself. He does not go to a faraway temple to learn from the sages and strengthen his will. Instead, Prince Cullen, soon to be Grand Alpha and, ironically, an omega, goes to his hidden cabin in the Sierras behind the palace. There, he spends a week alone until his heat subsides.

Ken knew it would cause an international uproar if the public and Athenaeas’ close alliances knew about it. It would be a messy and potentially dangerous matter to explain such a scandal to the Council and the Chamber of Lords, let alone their allies. It was a matter for kings, nobles, and royalty; yet, Ken somehow found his plain and commoner self to be caught in the complicated world of monarchy and its problems. All because he could not keep his hands to himself. Now, _he_ was thrust into the spotlight; he was “The Crown Prince’s Favorite”. He was known in the lower ranks as the soldier boy who, after almost defeating the Crown Prince in a duel, became the monarch’s good friend.

“You’re lucky,” Lieutenant Lacson told him. He was told that Ken was handpicked by Prince Cullen to be his bodyguard on his retreat. “This is a huge opportunity to rise up the ranks! Do it well. I’m rooting for you!”

Ken could only sigh—long, heavy, and disturbed. Everyone in the Royal Army coveted a place in the princes’ inner circle. It meant favors, special attention, and maybe even promotion. When word got out that he would be going with Prince Cullen, Ken became an instant celebrity in the army: everyone wanted to either _be_ him or beat the living daylights out of him.

What everyone else did not know was Ken was _not_ going to be the prince’s bodyguard. At least, not in the sense they thought. He will be serving the prince with his body, just in a different way. For the next week, Ken would be the prince’s heat partner. That was both an honor and a huge pressure on his part.

As Ken navigated through the dense forest trees, following the trail Prince Cullen left through the thick woods at the crack of dawn, the soldier thought about how he should do his ‘job’, and how to do it right. Heat partners were so-called because they were supposed to accompany an alpha or an omega in their fertile cycles. Ken had been someone’s heat partner several times back in his hometown, so he had experience in caring for omegas in heat. But how does one mere province boy care for royalty? How much should he do? How much was he _allowed_ to do?

There was a lot of ambiguity to his actual tasks. Vester had only told him to bring food, clothes, and to follow the trail in the woods behind the castle. The rest, he and Prince Cullen would have to discuss themselves. But the closer Ken got to the hidden cabin, the more anxious he felt. He began to doubt his own ability to do what was required of him.

Yet, there he was. Ken stood at the edge of trees that opened into a clearing. It was too far from the castle, too far from civilization, that he could hear nothing but the sound of birds and forest insects. Tranquility filled the expanse of woods and trees, the stillness punctuated only by the faint sound of a nearby river. As he stood there in that magical space, Ken thought he could pretend he was the only human left in the world. It was a comfortable space, and he could see how the prince found solace in that hiding place.

He let the hood of his cloak down, looking around. In the middle of nowhere, surrounded by a thick and tall canopy of trees, was a small cabin made of bamboo and bricks, its roof sewn-together strands of straw. Its single chimney blew out a thin wisp of billowing smoke. Through the frosted glass panels on the window, Ken could see a hazy interior basked in the bright lamplight. The cabin was humble but magical at the same time. No one would think there was an omega Crown Prince inside.

And the scent. Even from where he stood, the sweet scent of dewy grass beckoned Ken closer. Prince Cullen’s pheromones, the compass that led Ken to the heart of the woods, was already stronger even outside the humble hut. He could only imagine how much more so it would be on the inside, where the prince no longer needed to hide or mask it.

Ken knocked on the door thrice before pushing it open, as he was instructed. Stepping inside, the cozy and warm interior greeted him. There was a receiving area with simple furniture right by the door, as well as a fireplace off to the side. A little further into the square home, Ken could see a small dining area and a kitchen which were sparsely furnished but still elegant. To the rightmost corner was a singular room with no door but only a thick curtain separating it from the rest of the cabin. The entire space was homey, comfortable, and filled with the alluring scent of the prince’s pheromones.

Ken took a deep breath. Prince Cullen’s fragrance was stronger than any omega he had ever met, and it took every bit of self-control Ken had to keep himself sane.

“So, you found your way,” came a voice, smooth like velvet and pleasing as every decibel fell on Ken’s ears.

Ken almost jumped at the sudden appearance but managed to keep calm. While the soldier looked around the lamp-lit space, Prince Cullen emerged through the curtains of the lone room, leaning on the door frame. He wore a silky white robe that hung loosely over his shoulders, his fingers only peeking through large sleeves as he crossed his arms. He looked a little dazed and flushed, but still in control. At least, for the time being.

“M-My prince,” he greeted, but he could not stop his stutter. He looked up to see Prince Cullen looking at him with heated, half-lidded eyes.

“I assume Vester already told you everything?” the prince asked.

“Only to keep you well-fed and hydrated, my prince. Those were his final instructions before I left the palace.”

“Hmm…” Prince Cullen sighed. “Then, I’ll… remind you of a few more things… before we begin.”

‘ _Before we begin_.’ Ken’s insides churned. Or were those just butterflies fluttering in his innards?

“First,” the prince said after a deep breath, “if you tell anyone about this arrangement… I will have you executed.”

Ken blinked, not entirely surprised but taken aback just the same.

“Understood, Your Highness.”

“Second, you are not to call me Your Highness here. Call me… Josh.”

“Uhm… Y-Yes, Your—I mean. Yes… Josh. _Understood_.”

“Third, if you do anything untoward while I’m lost in my heat, I will _also_ have you executed.”

“Of… Of course.”

“Fourth, if you remove my collar and bite me, I will kill you myself.”

Ken took note of the thick collar the prince wore around his neck. “Yes, sir.”

“Lastly.” The prince paused as if he wanted to emphasize. “If you impregnate me, I will have you gutted, skinned, and hung by your thumbs while you wait for your death. Do you understand?”

Ken blushed. The ringing in his grew was so loud there might as well have been drums inside his skull.

“I understand completely, Yo— _ah_ , I mean, Josh. Yes, I understand.”

“Good,” Josh said. Ken only noticed then the deep flush in his cheeks, the heaviness of his breathing, and the discomfort in his pheromones. The monarch turned around, parting the curtains behind him, and said, “Once you’re settled… come into my room.”

The prince walked through the veil and disappeared, leaving Ken bewildered by the door.

* * *

Keeping a cool head inside Prince Cullen’s bed chamber in the palace was one thing, but being alone with the omega in a small, enclosed space thick with his pheromones was a challenge all on its own. His scent was mellow but overpowering. Ken felt as if he was slowly being drugged, making him dizzy. The more he inhaled the prince’s pheromones, the less he felt in control of himself.

Ken summoned enough presence of mind not to do anything he would regret. He took steady breaths as he sauntered in. Prince Cullen waited on the canopied bed with his back to the headboard. He looked like he was two seconds closer to falling asleep, but his hooded eyes were trained on Ken as he walked in, looking wary of the smallest movement the soldier would make.

“Your Highness?” Ken began.

“Josh…” the prince corrected. He seemed to be in a trance when Ken sat at the edge of the soft bed. “I told you… to call me Josh. And drop the formalities.”

“Erm… O-Okay…”

Josh clenched his jaw. “I’m trusting you, soldier…”

“Yes, of course, Your High—Josh. _Josh_.”

Josh chuckled weakly.

He grabbed a fistful of Ken’s loose shirt.

“Get on with it…” came his short but meaningful plea.

Ken breathed to calm his nerves. Then, he pushed Josh down on the mattress and untied the robe.

* * *

“ _Mmh_! _Mm—al-alpha_ …!”

Josh convulsed on his side, his pale hands getting whiter as he clawed at the sheets. Ken had only touched him, but in his heat state, he became so sensitive that every stroke made him twitch and jerk and explode. He orgasmed again, spilling seed onto the ripple of muscles on his stomach. It was already the third time.

Ken did not think he was doing anything spectacular, but the prince was so responsive to his touch. Even as Ken slowed down, pumping the prince’s flushed cock, Josh could not stop himself from mewling until he was finished.

The soldier grabbed the hot towel beside him, wiping his hand on it again. He turned to Josh who seemed to still be in a daze, who kept his face hidden under his arms. Ken reached out to the bedside drawer to get the glass of water and helped the prince gulp it down.

“Do you want to rest for a bit?” He laid Josh back on the bed.

The omega just looked at him, seeming to disagree with his glassy brown eyes.

Josh clutched the hem of Ken’s shirt.

No matter how long he delayed the inevitable, it would still come, he guessed.

Ken sighed.

So, he was going to do it. He knew he would have to, but it still felt unreal that only a week ago, he was in a swordfight with the Crown Prince. And now, he would be holding the same prince, not as a soldier, but as a heat companion. In no way could Ken have guessed his first month in the Royal Army would turn out that way. The life he would live as a soldier seemed to be much different than what he imagined.

Gingerly, he took off his shirt, conscious of the heated gaze directed at him. His heart began to pound in his chest like an angry giant was beating against the inside of his ribcage.

Josh tugged at Ken’s trousers with a trembling hand, his flushed face hidden by the pillow. His pheromones grew more poignant, intent on seducing the alpha, and it hit Ken with the force of a galloping horse.

“ _Alpha_ …”

Ken just closed his eyes and tried to ignore the way Josh’s voice sent a hot bolt coursing through his veins. He turned around to the prince.

“Are you okay with this?” he asked when Josh peeked from his hiding.

“Just…” came the other’s response. “Just hold me…”

Ken combed back the hair that stuck to the prince’s forehead. “Alright…” His eyes went straight to staring at the prince’s rosy red lips, his lips going toward a straight path for them.

But Josh covered Ken’s approaching mouth with one hand. “No… No kissing.”

The soldier pressed his lips together.

“Yes, my prince. As you wish.”

* * *

Hair black as ebony and smooth as silk. Skin pristine as pearls and soft like cotton. Eyes as brown as the hills in summer. Surely, the prince was royalty. Every bit of him was beautiful and without blemish, and Ken thought, “Ah, he truly is an omega.”

But Josh was also unlike any omega Ken had encountered before. The way his pale skin flushed pink in his heat was more beautiful than the others. Inside him was no different; slick and warm as if he were melting from the inside out. Ken was sure he was not supposed to feel good from being one with the prince, but when he thrust back in again, his groan was louder than Josh’s.

Ken found pleasure he did not know existed deep within the omega prince’s warmth.

How inappropriate. How rude.

How absolutely divine.

He moved even faster, and his enthusiasm shook the canopied bed. And Josh took it. The prince shivered and trembled each time Ken hit something inside him that made him cry out.

“ _Ah—_ ‘lpha!”

The alpha growled. Josh’s pheromones were one thing, but hearing the omega pleading for him almost drove him mad. Ken thrust his hips wildly, drawing out a steady stream of delicious whines from his partner. With one more, Josh orgasmed with a silent gasp.

But Ken was not done. He immediately pulled out of Josh, ignoring the omega’s whimpers. Reliving the feeling of being connected to the prince, Ken closed his eyes and fisted himself hard and fast as he coaxed out his own release. It did not take long for him to climax, and he exploded in his own slick-sullied hand.

He collapsed on all fours, hovering over his companion. Ken felt his head spin at the concentration of pheromones around him.

_Crickets, that was good_ , Ken thought as he caught up to his own thoughts. So good, he had almost said it aloud.

But when he looked beneath him—at the curled up, trembling, and listless body of the prince in heat—Ken thought he was the only one who felt that way. Josh did not look like he found it good at all. In fact, he looked almost defeated.

Ken wanted to ask why, but it was not his place to ask. And when the prince gave Ken’s knee a squeeze, the soldier could only comfort him in the way he knew he can.

* * *

Ken woke up sore the next day. It had been a while since he helped an omega in heat. He forgot how long they could last. The night prior, they had only rested to eat a quick dinner before the prince called Ken back to his room. They had sex until Josh became too tired to continue, and Ken wished he had brought along some perinox for himself.

Ken got up from the cot in front of the fireplace, mindful of his burning back and thighs. Because of the physical toll helping an omega had on his body, he slept like a rock. Admittedly, it was one of the best rests he has had, given that the cushions were softer than the ones at his barracks. The linen was smooth and smelled like sun-dried cloth. He thought it was nice to wake up like that: refreshed and surrounded by the sound of nature that reminded him of his own home.

“Awake now, are you?”

The soldier’s head snapped in the direction of the kitchen. Standing next to the open window, in a fresh set of silk robes was Josh, still looking a little flushed but lucid, at least, for the moment.

“Apologies for waking later than you, Your Highness.” Ken immediately got up from the cot, throwing the warm blankets aside. He regretted it, though. Autumn was cold, and it did not help that he was shirtless. He shivered when a cold mountain breeze drafted in.

“What did I tell you about dropping formalities with me here, soldier?” Josh cocked his head, giving Ken a small, amused smile. “I don’t know if you noticed, but I’ve been talking informally to you since you got here.”

“Apo— _Sorry_. Erm… It… It’s a little confusing to switch back and forth. Give me some time.”

Josh hummed. He sounded better than he had the day before. The prince looked better, too; rejuvenated. Glowing, almost. His eyes did not look as tired, and agitation no longer lingered in his pheromones.

Overall, Ken thought the prince’s condition was getting better, even if it was only the second day.

“Why are you up so early, if I may ask?” Ken approached Josh in the kitchen.

A loud and high-pitched sound answered Ken. He looked at the large window where the sound came from. Two large birds of prey cocked their heads at him as he got closer, both relatively large compared to the windowsill they perched on. Thick, sharp talons scraped against the wood as they moved, nudging each other. One of the hawks, a reddish-brown one with a yellow beak, gave Ken another greeting. It squawked.

“Oh… Hello…”

Josh smiled. He gave the bird a fond stroke.

“This one is Nineteen,” the prince explained, touching the large bird. He gestured to the smaller one with brown-and-white feathers and added, “That one is Eighteen. They’re a pair. Fastest and most powerful hawks in the aviary.”

“I see…” Ken walked up and inspected Nineteen closer. “They’re beautiful, Your Hi— _Josh_.”

“Well, they’re my favorites,” Josh answered. “So, I make sure they’re groomed and well-kept. They’ve served me well these past few years.”

“Are they hunting hawks?”

“Sometimes. But they’re mostly my messengers.”

“Oh. What have they come here for?”

Josh lifted his hand, holding up a thick, brown parcel. “I have a few things I need to work on.”

“While in heat, sir?”

“I don’t stop being Crown Prince just because I’m in heat.”

"Yes, but..." Ken scratched the back of his head. "You don't stop being in heat just because you're working as Crown Prince..."

A melodious chuckle, much like the sound of tiny bells, escaped from the prince's lips. Josh laughed.

"What kind of counterargument is that?"

"Not a good one, I'm guessing," Ken replied, blushing.

Josh turned to Nineteen, fondly holding out a finger to brush the bird's folded wing. "He's strange, isn’t he, Nineteen?"

Sunlight filtered from the sky, through the trees, into the window, and bounced off the prince's milky skin. A gentle breeze flowed inside, tousling his raven-black locks. Ken stared in awe at the prince's handsome features. He had seen it a few times, but Josh was still enamoring. He looked tough but gentle. Firm but kind. He exuded strength that was uncharacteristic of omegas who, for some, were nothing more than breeding mares. Ken felt a little ashamed that he had once pitied the prince.

What part of him was pitiable, exactly? Josh was a man among men, a fighter among fighters. He worked hard for his people. He was wise in his words. But he did not parade around, boasting of his abilities, either. He had a sober perspective of his skills. Even an alpha like Ken felt incomparable to His Highness.

Truly, Prince Cullen was one worth serving. Ken was awestruck.

"Let me make you breakfast, my prince," Ken suddenly said, almost sounding like a plea.

"Breakfast?" Josh was still brushing his hawks, Eighteen, this time. "I don't really eat breakfast."

"I insist, my prince. You're still in heat, so you'll need it."

Josh turned to him, a teasing smirk on his lips. "Only one day as my heat partner, and you're already nagging me as much as Vester."

"Ah, no! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to nag."

"But I'll accept your offer," said the prince. "After all, it'll be rude of me to keep you from doing your job."

"Ah..."

Josh did a graceful twirl, his robe flowing around his body as if it were dancing with the wind. The two hawks gave a loud screech, then took flight with as much grace as their owner.

The prince paused in front of Ken, giving him a sideways glance, and continued, "I'll take my bread with poached eggs. Tea, as well, if you would be so kind, along with some chocolate biscuits. Thank you."

The prince walked back to his room, carrying the covered box in both hands. Ken could only stare dumbly at his back, muttering an idiotic but inelegant response.

* * *

Josh worked at the dining table, placing an entire bunch of rolled-up parchment and paper on the surface. He would check and read documents, mumbling to himself. Then, he would take out his quill, dip it in the ink well, then sign his name at the bottom of the document. He would put it away to dry, then move on to the next one. He did this for a few hours while eating breakfast and while looking more and more disturbed with his heat.

Ken had told him a few times to pause for a while, but the prince rejected him. “If I don’t finish this, it will be on my mind until this evening,” was his excuse. The more Ken stared at Josh ignoring the growing pain that showed on his face, the more he admired the prince. After all, he had never seen an omega endure that long in the middle of a full-blown heat. Ken could tell that his pain was getting unbearable, but Josh tried to keep his control until the last minute, suffering the discomfort and agony of his sex-craving body.

No wonder his heats were uncontrolled. Josh has not let nature run its course. It was impressive and sad at the same time.

It was only around noon when Josh finally slammed his quill on the dining table. He swayed, and his head would have collided with the hard wooden surface if not for Ken who swooped in and held his forehead. For the first time in hours, Josh seemed to acknowledge the pain he was in. He emitted pheromones in huge waves like he was calling for someone to ease him.

“Josh?” Ken said gently, letting his own pheromones reply to the omega’s.

Josh looked up. His face was scrunched up in anguish and he was blinking back tears. “I finished… everything,” he choked out.

“Yeah, you did,” Ken told him. “You did great, my prince…”

“It… _hurts_ …”

“Okay, I’ll take care of you.” Ken helped Josh up from the heavy chair, then he carried the prince effortlessly in his arms. Josh curled in on himself like a newborn pup. “Up we go…”

All the Crown Prince’s work was left in disarray on the dining table, signed and accomplished. But as was not the case for Ken and the omega who made their way back to the sole room of the cabin. For the two of them, work had just begun. For them, it will be another long night.

* * *

Josh whimpered when Ken plunged into him again. It was slow and shallow, allowing Josh to loosen up and take Ken in. The alpha knew it was the best for the omega, but Ken was beginning to doubt if he found it satisfying at all. In fact, Josh looked like he was in even more pain.

Josh hid his face as he lay on his side. He held his arms up, covering his head and shielding himself from an unknown attacker. The sounds that left his lips spoke of his relief, but the way his body curled inward screamed about his struggle.

And Ken had to wonder why. Why was he being like that? What kind of wounds was he nursing? What kind of monsters has he been fighting by himself? And for how long?

Ken stopped thrusting. Josh whined but only caught his breath. He remained lying down, waiting for what Ken will do next.

“Your Highness? Josh?” Josh shivered when Ken ran his hand from the prince’s thigh up to his shoulder.

“ _Unnh_ …”

Ken leaned over to whisper in his ear. “Are you okay? Are you in pain?”

“ _No_ …” His voice was deep and raspy as if he had been crying.

“Then, why are you hiding your face?”

Ken began to bring Josh’s arms further from his face. The omega protested, but with Ken’s pheromones gently encouraging him, Josh complied.

“Hey…” Ken greeted with a smile when he met Josh’s eyes.

The prince’s face was flushed, deep crimson staining the milky white of his cheeks, his ears, his neck. The once-stoic Prince Cullen looked lost in his own lustful haze with his glassy, half-lidded eyes and his mouth hanging open as he gasped for air.

Josh looked beautiful… even if Ken could see his fear and discomfort.

Ken gave the omega a tender brush to the side of his face. “Have you been scared this whole time?”

“Wasn’t…”

The alpha chuckled. “No. Of course, not.”

He scooped Josh in his arms and flipped them over, Josh lying on top of him. Ken could see the omega’s face contort in confusion. He just chuckled and adjusted Josh’s thin legs around him on the bed, their sticky skins brushing against each other.

“W-What?” Josh gave Ken several confused blinks. He wiggled around, seeming unsure of where to put his limbs and the rest of his body.

Ken put a firm hold on Josh’s naked waist. “This way, you’re in control.”

“I can’t—”

“It’s okay. You can…” Ken pushed Josh’s waist lower, making the omega take him in until the hilt. Ken could feel Josh clenching around his throbbing cock, and they both groaned. “Like this, you can control how deep you want me to go.”

“ _Ah_ … It’s… _deep_.”

“Yeah… And this way,” Ken touched the back of Josh’s neck where his collar was buckled, “you won’t have to worry about me biting or kissing you. Right?”

Josh gasped. Ken knew he had hit the nail on the head.

“I won’t do anything you don’t want me to, my prince. I promise.”

The prince just trembled and dropped his head. He put his face flush against Ken’s chest, his fringe hiding the rest of his face in a thick, black curtain. But Ken could see the tips of his ears grow even redder. Ken could feel his thighs begin to quiver.

“Don’t like it?”

Josh whimpered. He tightened around Ken again. “I… like it.”

“Does it feel good?”

He nodded.

“Good…?” Ken bucked his hips.

“ _Ah_! G-Good…! It’s good!”

“Let your voice out, my prince.”

Ken guided Josh’s hips, letting him slide up and down Ken’s shaft. The omega prince’s slick was getting thick all over them, making it easier to glide smoothly around each other. Some more thrusts later, Josh began moving on his own, using his strong thighs to ride Ken out like the embodiment of Lust himself.

Josh unraveled. Instead of muffled groans and moans, he steadily whispered his shameless appreciation in Ken’s ear. Ken would be lying if he said it did not do anything to his own arousal.

“ _Alpha—it’s good, Alpha_ … _Alpha_ …!”

“Yes, I hear you.”

“So good, Alpha…!”

The prince threw his arms around the cushions until they found their way around Ken’s neck. He clung to the alpha, burying his face at the alcoves.

“ _Alpha, you smell good_ …” _Ah, curses. The prince is gone_. “I like it very much… _Haah_!”

Josh slowly sat upright. From where he lay, Ken could see the prince’s expression. His hazy eyes lost in the feasting of his flesh, his open-mouthed grin making gasping sounds as he breathed, the way his muscles tensed when he arched his back. For the first time, Ken saw the prince as an omega. He was not the Crown Prince or the would-be Grand Alpha. He was just Josh, an omega in heat, looking wrecked as he impaled himself on his alpha partner.

Josh bounced up and down on top of Ken, throwing his head back in bliss. He began to go faster. Ken was only glad to help him, meeting his movements with a thrust of his hips. He hit deep inside Josh, making the omega groan in pleasure.

Soon, Ken was touching as far as he could touch—Josh’s muscled pectorals, his biceps, his abdomen, his thighs. His fingers kissed a trail of fire over the prince’s skin, and Josh mewled with every brush. He moaned even louder when Ken began to stroke his erection. All Josh could do was tell his alpha to give him more.

More, alpha. Faster, alpha.

Ken had not heard a more beautiful plea. He obliged. Josh gasped, and without warning, he orgasmed in Ken’s closed fist, coating the alpha’s hand with his seed.

And Ken had not seen anything more stunning. All omega were pretty, but Josh was enchanting. Every move, every moan, every quiver of his body made Ken want to lose control. Even as the prince’s spent body collapsed on top of him, sticky, sweaty, and burning, Ken could not find anything less than beautiful about the omega prince.

Josh seemed to wind down considerably. His pheromones subsided, becoming calmer and more mellow than they had ever been. It made Ken’s heart swell to twice its size that he helped Josh become like that.

“ _Alpha_ …”

“Yes?”

“It’s good…”

“That’s good. I’m glad…”

“ _One more time, alpha_ …”

Josh buried his nose to the base of Ken’s neck and breathed. It sent a jolt of electricity all over Ken’s body… and his still raging erection inside the Crown Prince. Josh must have felt it, too, because his walls clamped hard around Ken, almost making the other come then and there.

But Ken controlled himself. He had to. It was not about him. It was about Josh. So Ken held him. Ken held him as many times as the prince required. Because he felt like that was all he could do, after all: just hold the omega’s body. The prince’s mind and heart were not his concern. They were beyond him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> was supposed to cut this in half. decided against it. sorry for the poorly written smut, but omega perspective is coming uppppp! tell me how you’re liking the story so far? :P


	6. heat in autumn (omega's perspective)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Josh confronts the thoughts he has been having about his heat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNING!!** chapter contains: R18 scene(s); melancholy; angst; reminiscing; implied attempted sexual assault; self-loathing; getting in the head of a melancholic omega prince in heat is generally confusing; mediocre + unproofed writing

# heat in autumn (omega’s perspective)

A voice whispered in Josh’s conscious, clear and crisp: “ _Alpha… So good, alpha…_ ”

_Whose?_

Before Josh could begin to think about it further, the same voice said again, “ _Oh…! Full—alpha, I’m full._ ”

Only then did Josh notice the strain in his throat every time the voice spoke. Whose voice? Josh’s. The omega, Josh’s. It was his breathy voice that filled the room with sensual moaning.

In his brief moment of clarity, the prince found himself on his knees. His alpha partner sat with his body pressed flush against him, supporting his back. There, Josh found he was pleasuring himself, burying his nails into Ken’s shoulders as he sunk himself on the alpha. Josh’s movements were sure, as if he always knew what to do. The omega in him had taken over, unleashing a beastly desire buried along with its insane instinct. Never has Josh found himself in a more humiliating situation.

_But why…?_

When Ken hit deep inside him, an involuntary shiver ran down his spine. Josh arched his body, a lecherous moan escaping his parted lips, cursing and loving the sensations that rocked his core all at once.

And it seemed he was not the only one. Ken gasped along with him as they moved together. There was a predatory gaze in the soldier’s eyes, burning like a furnace that made Josh boil inside.

He could feel his inner walls clamp possessively around the alpha. They hissed together, but it only made them move faster, hungrier. The sound of the bedposts hitting the wooden wall accompanied their dance, and the “ah-ah” sounds coming from both of them.

“Wait, stop—”

The soldier pushed Josh back into the cushions like a rag doll. He pulled out. Josh was about to let out a protesting whine when Ken aligned his cock with Josh’s and began fisting both of them hard and fast.

Josh let out a throaty moan. Ken did the same. He continued his ministrations until they orgasmed, one coming right after the other.

If Josh saw white stars burst in his vision, he wondered what Ken could be seeing beneath those lust-filled eyes.

_Why?_

Ken’s panted breath fanned across Josh’s face. As they settled down, Josh could feel their racing heartbeats with how close their bodies were pressed together.

Josh had never been that intimately close with anyone in his heat. Not with the handful of alphas he had partnered with. Not even with Vester. At the back of his mind, he wanted to push Ken away, gouge out his eyes, and command him to forget ever seeing the Crown Prince in such a dishonorable state.

But Josh did not. Josh… could not find it in himself to even begin to feel that way. Even as he regained awareness and control of his body, all he could do was feel embarrassed at their closeness. Especially when, after chasing his breaths for a brief second, Ken let out a shaky laugh and looked down at Josh with friendly tenderness.

“How was it?” he asked, combing stray strands from Josh's fringe to the back of his head. “How do you feel? Better?”

_Why?_

Josh hated it. But his hands moved on their own, and he pulled Ken into a needy embrace. He buried his nose and lips right where the alpha’s scent was. At the crook of his neck, Josh drowned himself with the smell and taste of salty forest wood… and it did things unimaginable to his body.

“ _Good_ …” came a voice from Josh’s lips again. Half of it was his omega self. Half of it was just the Crown Prince Cullen in an honest state. “It was good, _Ken_ …”

Ken hummed, his pheromones hinting at his relief and glee. Just the scent made Josh feel calm and peaceful.

The soldier continued to blanket Josh’s body with his heat. Eventually, his beating heart and steady breathing became the song that began to lull the prince to slumber.

Just as he fell asleep, the last thing Josh remembered was feeling a warm hand give this cheek an affectionate caress.

* * *

_Whack!_

_Whack!_

_Squawk!_

Josh always found the dawn to be his reprieve in his heat. It is in those hours just before sunrise that he finds he is himself again. Josh is no longer the lust-crazed animal with an insatiable appetite for sex. He was Josh again. He was Crown Prince. He would be calm enough to reason, think about his day ahead, and worry about all the problems that came with leading a kingdom. Even if he woke up dirty and undignified, reminded of the shameless part of himself he despised, waking up sober meant he could be someone who was not a slave to his primitive desires.

_Whack!_

Josh had expected to wake up the same way even then. Strangely, however, his expectations have not been met for the past few days. Whenever he woke up at dawn, he would not be dirty and undignified. He would be tucked comfortably in his sheets, cleaned at refreshed. It was the same way earlier that morning when he found that his bedsheets and linen had been changed, and none of his soiled clothes were left in the hamper.

The most curious thing he found when he woke up was that the alpha soldier was nowhere to be found.

_Whack!_

Josh looked up at the gray skies. Judging by the thick clouds that blocked the sun, he would not be surprised if it rained. The latter half of the year always brought with it the rainy season that usually floods the lower parts of Aethen.

The prince grimaced. He does not do the chores himself, but he was sure it was not a good day to do any sort of laundry. If Ken had left to wash their clothes and sheets, he had done so in poor foresight.

_Squawk!_

Josh glanced at the two birds of prey watching him from the small stack of wood he had chopped. Nineteen stretched his long neck to the side, looking at Josh with the most curious eyes he has seen in hawks.

“I find him _very_ strange, Nineteen,” Josh told him. “I can’t seem to figure out what’s going on in that soldier boy’s head.”

Eighteen screeched from the other side, shaking her tail feathers.

“I know… And I find it even more strange that I’m very calm about all of this. It must be my omega nature submitting to his alpha pheromones. It makes me uneasy. Aren’t I strange, too?”

The prince raised his arms, swinging the ax above his head, then brought it down forcefully against a waiting log.

_Whack!_

The wood split in half, and the birds screeched in unison as if commending Josh’s fancy ax work.

“Huh… You think this is good?” Josh asked both Eighteen and Nineteen. “It’s not cut in equal halves. I find it quite annoying.” Eighteen clucked. “But I guess these will do,” Josh mused out loud, examining the chopped wood with his hands.

“ _Josh_!”

The prince turned. Ken emerged from a thick cluster of bushes near the cabin's side where Josh had been chopping firewood. As he suspected, Ken carried a large basket in his hand where he had dumped the damp sheets and washed laundry. There was also a colorful assortment of fruits and flowers in his basket.

“Hello, Eighteen. Hello, Nineteen. Nice to see you today,” the soldier said as he passed, raising a fist to his chest in greeting. The two birds only gawked at him as he walked to Josh, lugging his heavy basket. “What were you doing?”

Josh held up the two halves of the wood in his hands. “We were running out of wood for the fireplace.”

“You shouldn’t strain your body like that. You’re still in heat.”

“I’m fine,” he replied, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. “How long do you think I’ve been spending my heat alone in this cabin?”

Ken was taken aback. “Of course, I apologize. I was just worried.”

“You worried for nothing, soldier. I’m used to these things, at least. I’m not just some poor, helpless omega, you know?”

“No, you’re not,” the soldier replied to him with a knowing expression. “You’re so much more. You are… _incredible_ , Your Highness.”

Josh could not fight back his chuckle. “Ah, lip service. Do they teach you that in the army, too?”

“No, no! That wasn’t lip service at all! I just… I find it amazing that you’re an omega, you’re in heat, but you still do your part for the kingdom. I know the Chamber of Lords is capable of governing the people before your coronation. Still, your active involvement in matters of state is… _inspiring_.”

The prince laughed even more. “I was just chopping firewood, Ken, not deciding on the people’s taxes.”

“Ah, I mean…”

“And if there’s anyone praiseworthy, it would be you, soldier,” Josh noted, glancing at the full basket Ken had laid on the ground. “Doing laundry with a thunderstorm brewing?”

Ken sweatdropped. “The storm clouds billowed in after I got started. I tried to finish in a hurry.”

“Yet you still had time to pick fruits.” The prince gestured to the fruits on top of the laundry.

“I came across some berries near the river. I’m sure these will be very sweet, as the water was sweet, too.”

Josh just looked at Ken’s open expression. Unable to make anything of it, he picked up the cluster of small, white flowers on a dark brown stalk. “And these?”

“Ah. Haven’t you seen these before?”

“No. I’m not familiar.”

“These are _perinox_. It’s a kind of edible flower, but it’s often used as a tea or powdered into medicine. Fighters and scouts have been using them as an energy source for centuries.” Ken took the stalk from Josh’s hands and played with it between his long fingers. “A small cluster like this can give a man enough strength to run across three cities.”

“That doesn’t sound plausible,” Josh frowned, skeptical.

Ken laughed. “Well, it is. That’s why the army uses it as the main ingredient for food during war or long travel.”

“So, it’s like a stimulant?”

“More or less.”

“ _Ah_ …” Josh smirked at him. “And why would _you_ need perinox out here, Ken?”

The alpha tried to stop a shy smile from showing on his face. He failed.

With a light blush, he said, “Erm… It’s embarrassing to admit, but I’m finding it hard to match your stamina in heat… _Your Highness_ …”

Josh laughed at him. He had a feeling it was like that but knowing gave him a childish satisfaction anyway. Josh may not be an alpha, but his pride sure as hell was that of one. Unknowingly, he licked his lips, and it made Ken blush a darker shade of red.

“Well, well. You’ve made me curious,” Josh declared.

He leaned forward and opened his mouth to take a small bite of the perinox.

Ken pulled it away from him. “Josh, _no_!”

“ _How dare you_?” the prince barked.

“Ah, no! It’s just… Perinox… Perinox is for alphas.”

“Say again?”

“It’s not for omegas.”

“It _discriminates_?”

“It’s not like that…” Ken began, “Perinox is just compatible with alphas. Its effects are more beneficial to our physiology, for some reason. When omegas ingest perinox, whether it’s fresh or brewed or dried or powdered, it can induce heat almost instantaneously.”

“What nonsense!”

“I promise… I’ve seen it happen to many of the omegas I know. So… you might want to… avoid this.”

Josh squinted his eyes curiously at the white flowers and buds Ken was holding in his hand. Part of him was skeptical, but a larger part of him was insanely curious.

He picked off a few flowers from the stalk and examined them closer.

“I’m still doubtful…” he began. “I can’t believe a flower as small as this one can do that to alphas and omegas.”

“Well, don’t take my word for it,” replied Ken. “But if you see it with your own eyes, I’m sure you’ll believe me.”

“Interesting…” Josh mumbled, noticing the smooth, porcelain-like surface of the white petals.

He glanced at Ken. He smiled devilishly.

The prince raised his hand until the perinox brushed against Ken’s mouth.

“Let’s try and see which one will last longer, then,” Josh challenged. “This filthy omega in heat or an alpha on perinox?”

With his thumb, Josh pushed the small white flowers past Ken’s parted lips. The soldier welcomed the petals on his tongue, then nibbled on them like an obedient pet.

Ken laughed nervously when Josh gave him a competitive smirk.

“ _Josh_ … please don’t challenge me like that. I’m still an alpha, after all.”

“Well, if you acted more like one, you wouldn’t have been pushed around in your platoon so much.” Josh stepped in closer to Ken, provoking his partner with his pheromones. “ _Alpha_ …”

“Oh, you’ve done it now.”

Something seemed to click inside Ken. A low growl rumbled in his chest, and he lifted Josh to his shoulder. Josh had only realized what was happening when his vision blurred, and the alpha’s heady pheromones began to overwhelm his senses. The strong scent of smoked wood and pine suffocated him.

Fire lit inside Josh’s stomach. It spread inside his bones and under his skin. He was getting woozy and a little drunk on the alpha’s pheromones.

_See how strange we have become?_ Josh asked Eighteen and Nineteen in his head when his unfocused gaze met theirs.

The two hawks screeched, seeming a little perturbed. Eighteen and Nineteen cocked their heads in unison, bearing witness to their master’s predicament as Ken carried him on his shoulders back inside the cabin. The prince gave a wanton wave of his hands to dismiss them, and they screeched in affirmation before flapping their strong wings.

Eighteen and Nineteen took flight without hesitation as if they knew their master would be otherwise preoccupied for the rest of the day.

* * *

Perhaps Josh was getting old. Or he was getting soft. But for the first time since he manifested as omega, he began to reminisce about his heats.

The first time he had an alpha partner was shortly after he had his first heat. His then-caretaker was the one who had been teaching him everything about what being an omega meant. She was a lovely omega woman who had been the Queen’s midwife and Vester’s late mother. Josh could remember how she begged him to get an alpha partner to appease his heats, which had been irregular and excruciating even back then. Not knowing any better at the tender age of sixteen, Josh relented... on the condition that it was to be kept secret from the rest of the palace.

Josh could not remember where they got that alpha. But when the young man came in blindfolded to Josh’s quarters, the prince could remember how he looked kind and handsome. But those soft features quickly turned menacing. He had only been in the room for a few seconds before he went feral and attacked Josh, pinning the prince down and almost biting him. Had it not been for Josh's screams and his omega retainer, the prince had no doubt things would go a lot more morbid.

The second time Josh took on an alpha partner was during his next heat. His condition had not gotten any better. His pheromones fluctuated and were difficult to control. Josh had been reluctant to take on partners ever since the incident with the first one, but he had heard that the best way to calm his heat was with an alpha. So, Josh took on a female alpha partner despite his aversion and traumatic previous encounter.

At that time, the alpha was a gentle-looking woman with a rather large frame. Josh remembered thinking it would be fine. She was blindfolded, and she looked smart enough to be able to control herself. She even had a nice voice and asked Josh about what his preferences were. But before they could get started, the woman smelled Josh’s pheromones and, like the first, gave in to her instinct. Her pheromones became oppressive and controlling, and the way she acted was no better than a wild animal. Josh had to knock her out with what little strength he could muster before anything worse could happen.

After that, Josh had taken on a handful more alpha partners. He had a total of seven, all of whom were either uncontrollably aggressive or less than satisfactory. And even with them, Josh's heats were still unstable. It was then when the prince decided he did not need them. Josh resolved that he would do without alphas. He challenged himself to control his pheromones better. With the help of Vester's suppressant tea he carried in a flask, Josh battled with himself for many years. As for his heats, all he had to do was hide in his parents’ cabin deep within the woods and suffer in silence.

Josh had thought about why those alphas behaved that way. Whenever he did, the prince would always hear the voices of nameless people ringing in his ears.

“Because you’re an omega,” they would say to him. “They attacked you because you’re an omega. Alphas cannot help but seek omegas, just like omegas cannot help but seduce alphas.”

And Josh could not understand. He could not understand why he had to suffer that just because he was an omega. Josh already felt like the lowest, most filthy, most unwanted creature for being born an omega in royalty. Was succumbing to his painful heats not enough? Being looked down on was not enough? As an omega, must he also keep looking behind him, constantly feeling unsafe and vulnerable?

Josh hated it. He hated that he was an omega like poison in his veins. He hated that he was limited just ‘because he is an omega.’ He despised that being an omega meant he could not be who he wanted to be—who _they_ wanted him to be.

And Josh hated that even if he loathed this part of himself, he would still crave for an alpha’s touch every time he has his heat.

_But why?_

_Why?_

Josh could hear the rain pelting against their windowpane. He could hear his own moaning in his ears. He could hear his slicked skin slap against Ken’s thighs as he rode him. He could hear the alpha’s groans, feel his bruising grip on Josh’s waist, and smell the heady scent of his pheromones… _but why_? Why did Josh not hate it?

Still in the middle of his heat, the prince began to have brief flashes of awareness. In those moments, everything he had refused to acknowledge came barraging into his conscious. Josh has avoided thinking about them for the past few days, but as he took in the details of where he was, what he was doing, and who he was with, he could no longer suppress his thoughts.

_Why_?

Why did he feel good? Why did coupling with an alpha make him feel so full tears of bliss streamed down his face? Why was it exhilarating when the alpha touched his perverted body? Why did his body tremble from the sensations he was being given— _no_ , sensations he was giving himself?

Why was Ken warm? When everyone else’s touch was searing and scathing, why was the alpha’s touch an exception? Ken made Josh want to melt and not hate it. Ken made him want to be held, be weak, be vulnerable. Ken’s scent brought a sense of comfort, a sense of security and relief that Josh had not encountered before. But why? Josh did not know.

Maybe it was because of a simple truth? That no matter how much he has run away from it in the past or denied it until then, the prince _is_ an omega. Josh could try to mask it, hide it, compensate for his weakness, but at the end of the day, that is still his biggest flaw. He is an omega, and being with that alpha made him feel at ease with himself.

The omega's musing did not stop his movements. He continued to move on top of Ken, swiveling his hips wildly. A few more thrusts and Josh came again, spilling his seed all over the alpha below him.

As Josh caught his breath, he let his mind run amok while his body crashed down over his alpha partner.

“Are you okay?” came Ken’s concerned question.

Josh just nodded, the gentle hands rubbing his back giving him a sense of peace. It brought relief to his still-aching body.

“Do you want to rest?”

The omega shook his head. “Hold me,” he replied.

Ken gave an affirmative grunt. He adjusted himself before wrapping his arms around Josh's body. Like the omega that he was, the embrace brought tingling sensations all over him.

Josh felt a strange sense of serenity as he lay there motionless, being held by the alpha. He felt at ease, and the prince could not see how any of it made sense—him laying there, Ken holding him, the coziness, the warmth, the calmness. Why? None of it made sense to him.

The prince looked up at Ken, the alpha lost in his own thoughts as he stared at the shadows on the ceiling. And all Josh could think was a tentative ' _maybe'_.

Things did not make sense, but maybe if he keeps going, they will. Maybe if Ken holds him one more time—two, five, ten more times, they will. Maybe if Josh keeps moving forward, everything that had happened to him will make sense, and _maybe_ he will not be as bewildered anymore.

_Maybe_?

Josh found a snug spot to lay his head at the curve of Ken's neck. He closed his eyes and breathed.

_Yes. Maybe if this alpha holds me again, things will make sense._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow. what. i’m splitting this chapter up into two. it’s getting too wordy for me. hope you don’t mind.


	7. departing at dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some moments are more intimate than sex, Josh thinks, and he does not know what to make of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be included in the ‘omega’s perspective’, but it would have gotten too long… so here you go!
> 
> chapter contains: dreams; massages and belly rubs; shy, shy soldier; cliffs; leaving; mediocre + unproofed writing

# departing at dawn

_“Go, my little star! Go with your father.”_

_“But I don’t wanna leave! Mama, I don’t wanna!”_

_“My star—my Josiah. Mama will be fine. I promise.”_

_“Mama—”_

_“Please, my star… My prince… You’ll still be king for me, remember?”_

_“And you’ll be my queen, mama?”_

_“Yes. Yes, I promise. Now, go, Josiah! I love you!”_

* * *

_“Are all the women and children accounted for?”_

_“Yes, Your Majesty!”_

_“Take Josh—”_

_“But papa!”_

_“Josh—Josiah, my son. You have to let go of me—”_

_“No—”_

_“Prince Cullen, listen to me. You are next in line to the throne. Your duty is to protect our people when I’m not around, do you remember?”_

_“I remember, papa…”_

_“So, stay here with the men. You have to protect them and your brothers—”_

_“Where are you going, papa?!”_

_“I’ll go back for your mother. Stay here in the boat, okay, Josiah?”_

_“Papa—”_

_“Be strong, Josh… Our little star… Our king… You will be a great leader one day—”_

* * *

Josh forced his eyes open. It was still dark; the lack of natural light made it difficult to know whether it was night or day. The shadows in the room flickered against the walls, waiting, watching. Outside, the thunder rumbled, and heavy rain pelted against the windowpane, a familiar noise ringing in Josh’s ears. The weather was not unlike the heavy thunderstorm in his memories. But in them, the prince was ten and at sea, watching helplessly as the large ship sank to the bottom, dragging his parents along with it.

It had been a while since Josh has had those dreams, and it had been twenty years since the shipwreck. After all the time that has passed, he was no longer afraid of the images; yet he could still smell the nauseating scent of burnt wood and taste the salty seawater. And the promises he made that night still weighed on his mind like a sinking ship.

The prince began to sit up. His hips sent him a stabbing pain to cry out for a little more gentleness. His heat had already passed, and his body was beginning to ask him for charges. After the past few days he has had, Josh could understand his body’s whining.

Josh was still propping himself up on his elbows when his thigh brushed against something, and he turned to the side.

Wide brown eyes that glowed golden in the candlelight met Josh’s, sparkling despite the dark. Ken gave him a surprised and embarrassed look, staring at him while kneeling on the bed.

“What are you doing?” Josh asked, curious. He had not seen the soldier in his chamber besides when the alpha relieves him, so it was strange to find him there. Ken hovered over the lower half of Josh’s body, covered scantily by a thin strip of cloth.

“Ah, no! Sorry. It’s not what you think!” The alpha waved his hands defensively in the air. In the ginger glow, they glistened with a thin sheen of liquid.

Josh looked down at his own body and saw that he was glistening, too. His belly and thighs shone from some kind of oil.

“ _What_ … is this?”

“Er… I was… giving you a massage,” Ken explained. He took out a dark brown bottle from his side and held it out to Josh. “You get painful cramps on your belly and your thighs, right? Pelvic rubs and thigh massages make it better.”

A strange sensation squeezed Josh’s chest, like his heart was being wrung dry. It was true that massages are effective against heat cramps, but he did not understand why Ken would do that. It was not something Josh required him to do, nor was he obliged to do it.

Then again, the soldier did many things beyond what Josh expected from him in the week they had spent together.

“Have you been doing this every night?”

“Only when it seems needed,” Ken answered. “You were groaning in your sleep, so I thought you were having bad cramps. Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Thank you,” Josh answered. “It was… just a bad dream.”

“Oh. About what, if I may ask?”

The prince gave him a blank stare before answering. “Legislation.”

“Legislation?”

“Yes,” Josh responded, nodding. “In my dream, I was deciding whether or not to pass a law allowing me to execute anyone who touched me so familiarly.”

Ken took his hand back from Josh’s knee as if the prince’s skin became too hot to touch.

Josh chuckled. “I’m joking, Ken. Don’t be so tense.”

“So, monarchs can make jokes, too?” the soldier laughed dryly.

“Monarchs have a dark sense of humor, but yes. We can and _do_ make jokes. What do you take us for?”

“Oh… I just didn’t think you’d have people to exchange jokes with.”

“Nobody from the council, that’s for sure.”

“So, your previous partners, then?”

“I haven’t really had many,” the prince replied, shrugging. “And for those whom I partnered with, I didn’t bother much with pillow talk.”

“Why not?”

“Is it customary?”

Ken shrugged. “No… But if you spend an entire week with someone… don’t you talk and get to know each other?”

“Well, I don’t spend an entire week with them,” Josh explained. He flung the towel laid across his midsection, exposing his nakedness to the cold air. Ken looked away with a blush as he did, and Josh found his shyness amusing. Ken had seen and touched Josh countless times, but the soldier averted his gaze anyway. Josh chuckled to himself.

The prince began to wipe down on his oily legs and belly before covering himself with the bedsheet.

“I would spend a few hours to a day, at most. But it wasn’t my preference. You can look now.”

Ken turned his head again, then continued with a question. “But why?”

“You ask a lot of questions, don’t you, soldier?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I’ve been told that I’m quite talkative.”

“And they were right. You _are_ talkative,” Josh chuckled, finding Ken’s bashful expression to be child-like for an alpha.

The soldier pressed his lips into a thin line and clenched his jaw, round eyes twinkling in the candlelight as he stared at Josh. There was curiosity in them, but Josh could not figure out what it was.

Ken continued to stare at him for the next second, as if there was a question at the tip of his tongue, so the prince said, “Go ahead and ask.”

“Uhm… Apologies if I’m overstepping, but exactly what kind of partners have you had until now?”

Josh giggled. “You’re interested in _that_?”

Ken just nodded and sat on his legs with his hands on his lap. He reminded the prince of his youngest brother, Justin, whenever Josh would read him stories as a child. It was almost endearing.

“All alphas,” Josh explained curtly. “But none as… quite _disciplined_ as you.”

The soldier just waited with a lost look on his face.

“I don’t know if you noticed, but my pheromones are stronger than most omegas.” Ken nodded, listening intently to the prince’s next words. “Apparently, not all alphas can handle them, and the first few I partnered with lost control before we could even begin.”

“They _what_?!” Ken gasped. “And did anything happen?”

“Nothing happened, thankfully. At least, nothing that counted as rape,” Josh explained. “And I was unharmed. Those instances made me a little unenthusiastic about taking a partner, however.”

“Crickets… I know this has been a huge problem for omegas, but to think it would happen to you…!”

The perturbed look on Ken’s face made Josh smile. He looked down at his pale and bony hands, clenched and unclenched them, then sighed.

“Don’t be sorry. I guess I should have expected it… Those alphas reacted as alphas do. It’s how life is… because I’m an omega. This wretched body of mine does what a wretched body does.”

Ken grimaced like he wanted to argue but thought better of it. “Er… Pardon my words, but I don’t think you can justify what they did to you just ‘because you’re an omega.’ And they can’t say they did that ‘because they’re alphas,’ either. I mean, the biggest concern is they did something so savage to the Crown Prince!”

“Well, they didn’t know it was me. If they did, I wouldn’t have let them leave alive.”

“They didn’t know they partnered with the Crown Prince?”

“No. All they knew was a rich noble was looking for partners who could keep quiet. And keeping quiet is easy when you’re given a small sack of silver.”

“That’s it?” Ken sneered, disappointment written all over his face. “They weren’t punished?”

“It was a long time ago, Ken. I don’t have time to worry about such trivial matters.”

“ _Trivial_?”

“It’s not a big deal to me anymore.”

Ken pursed his lips like he was fighting back the urge to argue more.

“Weird one, I’m saying it’s okay. I managed. I learned to spend my heats alone, and I’m safe inside this cabin for them.”

The alpha stared at Josh in disbelief for a moment before looking around the room. “I guess it _is_ a beautiful cabin. I haven’t been able to say anything, but it’s really quite homey,” Ken said.

“It is.”

“Did you have this built just for your heats?”

There was an innocence in Ken’s question that told Josh he asked out of curiosity, but it did not change the fact that it still struck a chord in the prince’s memory.

Josh looked away, staring at the rain as it fell against the window.

“This was my mother’s…”

Ken gasped. “The Queen Consort’s?”

“Yes.” Josh nodded. He let his gaze wander across the room, taking all the details from the old wallpaper to color of the lacquer on the wood to the cracks on the ceiling. He could not help but smile at the nostalgia filling up his chest. “She used to spend her heats here, although I was too young to know what they were before.”

“Ah… Alone?”

His innocence again. It made Josh laugh.

“My mother was married to the Grand Alpha. Do you think she would spend her heats alone?” Even in the dark, Ken shone bright red as he blushed. “You’re unbelievably naïve, aren’t you?”

“I’ve been told that, too…”

Josh chuckled again. “To answer your question, no. My parents often spent their fertile cycles together. In this cabin, to be specific.”

“Oh, wow.” Ken seemed in awe. “That seems romantic…”

“It does, doesn’t it?” Josh smiled. “My parents… were very affectionate with each other, you see. I may have been young then, but I can still remember how much the king doted on his queen. You would not have found a more beautiful couple.”

“I never saw the king and queen in person, but from what I heard, they were very loving with each other,” Ken said. “They said His Majesty looked at the queen like she was the Moon on a starry night.”

“That, he does.” The remembrance made Josh smile. “My father… looked at my mother differently compared to everyone else. It was… _romantic_.”

“You must miss them…” Ken smiled at him.

Josh saw the boyish grin, and his heart clenched again. He felt his breath get stuck in his throat, feeling a little shy under the alpha’s tender gaze.

Josh had always put his brothers and his people above himself. He had never seen the point in talking about his personal problems when his kingdom had more pressing matters needing his attention. It was not for him to wallow in his woes. That was not his duty.

But Ken, the alpha he had known for barely a month, made it so easy for Josh to bare the parts of himself he had hidden for so long. Ken had already drawn out the story of his bad experiences with alphas—a trifling matter, for sure, but it was a tale Josh has not told anyone, not even his brothers. And now, Ken found it easy to make Josh talk about his own childhood.

It felt a little like standing on top of a cliff, looking down from the precipice, and preparing to jump without wings. Josh found it scary, looking down at the pitiful and shameless parts of himself with a stranger. But what was more frightening was Josh thought it was okay to jump and take the fall. With Ken, Josh felt it was okay to be weak, to be vulnerable… to be an omega. Josh felt he could let Ken see through him and then shatter his pride to pieces.

Was this what it meant to be an omega, after all? To be utterly foolish and unguarded?

Josh took a step back from the cliff’s edge.

Then, another.

And another.

He turned his gaze away and continued to stare at the rain falling outside the cabin.

“Ah, sorry. You don’t have to answer that,” Ken said when Josh made it clear he was done talking. “I guess… I should leave you to rest, Jo—er, _Your Highness_?”

“That… would be appreciated, soldier.”

Josh could see Ken nod from his periphery. “Okay. Uhm… I guess I’ll… just go out.”

The prince nodded.

“Er… I will also be leaving at dawn, Your Highness. I have to report back to Lieutenant Lacson.”

“I see…”

“Yes. Er, good night, my prince.”

Josh turned to see Ken’s retreating figure leave the room. There were fading scratches and red lines visible on his back, even from a distance. Once Ken leaves, they will go back to how they were before, and those lines will disappear as if they were never there.

Why did his heart keep tightening like that? The prince did not know.

“Soldi— _Ken_ ,” Josh called out before he could stop himself.

Ken was quick to turn around in response. “Josh?”

There was a lot Josh wished to say, but his eloquence shied from him, and he could only stare.

“Thank you…” he finally said. “For this past week, I am… _grateful_.”

Ken smiled, then put a firm fist to his chest and gave a small bow. “Please feel free to rely on me however you wish, my prince.”

“Dismissed…” Josh responded with a smile.

The soldier turned back around and slipped through the curtains.

Josh remained looking at the doorway. He continued to stare at the dark fabric separating him from the alpha, breathing in the remnants of Ken’s pheromones.

When enough time passed, he turned his head gaze to look at the window, at the thick mantle of rain outside the cabin. Heavy raindrops continued to fall on the windowpane. The sounds reverberated inside the peaceful hollow that began to grow inside Josh’s chest. His heart continued to give irregular beats— _how strange_ —and he reminisced, not just about his parents, but about his week as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shutdown to @J0KEN4T1C! I got the inspiration on the belly rubs from her. > <


	8. letters at winter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter contains: letters; mediocre + unproofed writing

# letters at winter

_23 rd of Weschrun in the Year of Grandefall_

_838 A.D._

_Aethen, The Capital_

_It might snow this year. This means low chances of flooding in the areas by the Great River and the dam, but it also means freezing temperatures. I have already approved the Lords’ motion to distribute the winter stocks throughout the kingdom gradually. Hopefully, the rations reach the borders before winter sets in. I worry about the small towns, like Evlyn, for example. I have never really given the smaller villages a lot of thought before, but I do now._

_However, besides these and other minor concerns from the parliament, I believe everything is going smoothly. Thankfully, nothing major has come up, and we can begin preparing for my coronation in ten months. The capital is buzzing with energy for my coronation. I cannot say I am exempt._

_As for me, I am warm. I cannot remember the last time I have felt this warm. Perhaps it is because my heat has just finished. It is only the second heat I have spent with my alpha partner, but I believe I am getting better. My pheromones are not as uncontrollable, and for the first time, my heat followed a predictable schedule. Vester was right when he said that taking on an alpha partner was a wise choice. I wonder why it had never worked before, but I am glad it has now._

_It is a comforting feeling that I can finally control this shameless body of mine. The nights of losing myself to carnal desire are almost worth this freedom. I feel liberated from the burden that had weighed me down for a long time and am beginning to think I can do this. I can ascend the throne. I can keep my promise to my parents._

_Only ten more months, my King, my beloved Queen. Until then, please watch over my brothers and I. I would not mind if you watch over the alpha keeping me company as well. He is a good man._

_I will make you proud. I love you dearly._

* * *

_12/27/838_

_My Esteemed Mother,_

_How are you doing? You mentioned in your previous letter that Jed has received new irrigation technology from the capital. I’m glad. I hope you’re putting it to good use? I guess we can expect better crops for next year, once winter passes._

_Me, I’m doing very well. My health has been okay. The perinox you sent last time has helped me with many, many things. Sad to say, I’ve run out of them quicker than I expected. Training in the cold winter weather is harsh, but I got used to it over the weeks. You wouldn’t believe how well I’ve gotten with the sword now. I plan to teach the younger ones once I get home for the winter holidays. My superiors gave me a few weeks to stay over, so I’ll have plenty of time to spend in the village._

_I’m thinking of buying a messenger hawk once I save up enough money, mother. A respected friend showed me his hawks, and I think they will be useful, especially when I write to you so often. They’re able to carry a considerable amount of load, and they’re fast. When I talk to that friend again, I’ll ask him to teach me how to train one properly. I’ll get one for you as well._

_Don’t worry so much about money. I’m sending you gold because I have some to spare for you and myself. Please don’t think of it as a burden._

_I’ll end my letter here, or else we might run out of things to talk about once I get back! Look forward to my return, mother. I miss your cooking a lot, so is it too much to expect a feast when I get back?_

_Your little pebble,_

_Ken_

_P_ _S., I might be spending my rut at home. Is my old room still available? Can I trouble you to prepare it for me in advance? Thank you very much._


	9. an outsider's point of view

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The prince and the soldier have changed, and other people are beginning to notice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it’s been so long, my goodness! i apologize. i’ve been busy with a lot of things including work, the joken anniv collab (read alfls/altr here: <https://twitter.com/official_joken/status/1342817707775807488?s=20>), and other things that i didn’t have much uninterrupted time to work on my fics. i’m glad i got this crunched through!
> 
> originally, this was going to be two chapters, but i decided to combine them into just one 4k-something chap. i hope you don’t mind. i’ve pretty much finished the rough outline for the entirety of tpiao, so hold on! bear with me! many adventures more to come. thank you all for your continued feedback, comments, and love. i really appreciate it.
> 
> anyway, on to the fic!
> 
> chapter contains: vester, paulo, and justin; prince and soldier from other people’s perspectives; angst; drama-ish; brotherhood; mediocre + unproofed writing

# an outsider’s point of view

Aethen’s market square lies at the heart of the city: a colorful amalgamation of makeshift tents, concrete buildings, and wooden huts tied together with banners and cloth that looks like a large clump of mushrooms from a distance. A multitude of products is sold in each stall, from fresh produce to antique furniture, quirky knick-knacks, and the rare eastern merchandise. As one cannot leave the city without passing through the Central Street bisecting the market, most everyone will stop at one of the many food stalls, either to sample the goods or fill their bellies for a long journey ahead. Pastries, candied apples, snacks, and herbs also litter the street-side, letting the wandering passerby or the familiar local smell the mouth-watering smells of Aethen.

Winter has just passed. The last of the snow had melted two days ago, and the square that once was covered in a thick layer of white fluff returned to its motley colors of brown, red, gold, and green. Children were playing that early morning, getting yelled at by the adults when they toppled over crates and baskets of fruits. Their laughter filled the air along with the growing noise of vendors beckoning customers and the scent that hinted at the beginnings of spring.

Vester stopped in the middle of the Central Street to gaze at the chaos before him—Aethen in Her diverse beauty—and he could not help but smile. For generations, She has enjoyed peace and bounty from the rule of Her previous Grand Alphas. And finally, after two decades of having no King, one will be crowned that year; a new Grand Alpha, one whom Vester knew would bring progress to Aethen.

As he walked along the stalls, stopping every now and then to check the fresh herbs on display, thoughts about his Crown Prince filled Vester’s head. Everything he saw at the market led him back to his prince. The mixed herbs and spices made Vester think about the suppressant medicine he needed to make for Josh, as well as the concoction he was trying to make for birth control. In the Northern direction, the palace’s three towers peeked, and Vester wondered if Josh was calling for him already, or if the Crown Prince was in too deep in work that he forgot to eat his meals again. Josh often needed Vester to remind him to eat regular meals when he was working. If the lowly retainer could be so vain, he sometimes thought he was one of the few people who could give Josh everything he needed.

_Most_ everything.

_“Ve-Vester, help me_ … _Vester, please, I need—”_

Between Vester and Josh there was a chasm—deep, wide, and impossible to cross. Whether it was nature, destiny, or a man in the moon playing tricks on mortals, it was decided that while Vester could give Josh everything he needed, he was not someone who could satisfy him.

_“It-it still hurts—Vester-I’m—Why?”_

_I’m sorry, Josh… It’s because I’m a beta_.

A beta, that was what Vester was. In the past, he could not be bothered by his second gender so much. He always felt that it was like his hair color or his preference for spicy food. His second gender was not something that changed the course of his destiny, and it was as inconsequential as the number of times he blinked in an hour.

But when Vester got to know Crown Prince Josiah, he found himself cursing the fact that he had been born a beta. How he wished he could be an alpha. An alpha who could hold Josh, relieve him, satisfy him, wipe his tears, and kiss the apples of his cheeks when he had cried too much. Someone who could be more to his beloved prince than just a confidante and a retainer. Vester wished he could be an alpha who sensed Josh’s distress just by feeling the air around him or be able to tell whether Josh’s pheromones smelled specifically of moss or wet grass or mixed herbs. As a beta, Vester was cursed not to be able to do any of those. As a beta, all he could do was stand on the sidelines supporting Josh’s back, because no matter how much warmth he surrounded the prince, there was no way Vester could bring peace to an omega’s soul.

The beta sighed, his lips curling into a smile. He thought he was past those nonsensical regrets. He had decided to let them go and be content with where he was beside Josh. But the reminder that he was no longer the only one the prince needed made him remember again.

“Mister… _Vester_?”

Vester looked in the direction the voice came from. A man in a thick and battered winter garb of leather and fur stood next to him, smiling as if he had no woes. He lugged a large pack on his back, numerous pouches hanging from the straps that secured them to his broad shoulders. Ken Suson approached Vester with his fist to his chest and bowed.

What a kind young man. Vester could not even hate him.

“Good morning, Mr. Vester. How have you been?”

“Hello, soldier.” Vester had to bite his lip to stop from calling the man, ‘alpha.’ “Back from your holiday break?”

Ken nodded then gestured to the rest of his body. “I’ve only just passed the main gates of Aethen. I’m glad to see you’re well in this wintry weather, sir.”

“I manage,” he replied, patting his own winter garb. “Although I wish I could say the same about you. I’ve seen you in better form than this.”

The soldier only laughed dryly. As he did, the lines on his face grew more prominent, drawing attention to the bags underneath his eyes. Vester did not miss the pallid color on his face, and his lips cracked so much they split. The only thing that betrayed Ken’s haggard look was the bright grin he sported along with a perfect set of teeth.

“Ah… The travel wore me out, sir. It’s a long way to get here from my hometown.”

“But His Highness lent you a horse. Are you ill?”

“No…” Ken licked his lips and blushed. “I, ah… I just had my rut, sir…”

Vester leaned back to examine him from head to toe. Usually, alphas let out a faint but distinct scent after their ruts, but since Vester was a beta, the only assessment he could do was with the man’s physique. What he could see from Ken’s form told Vester it had been a difficult cycle for him.

“Well, I don’t imagine your rut went well, seeing as you look like hell.”

“No… No, it didn’t…” Ken scratched the back of his head shyly.

“I hope you regain your strength,” Vester told him with a strict voice. “ _His_ next heat will come in about a week.”

The alpha blushed, and Vester did not think any alpha could blush as deeply as that. “I will, sir. I just need a few days of rest.” And then, “Is he… How is he?”

_Ah_ , Vester exclaimed in his head. He knew it. It was expected, what with Josh being stoically magnificent the way he is, but to think it would happen so soon. The beta did not miss the way Ken’s pupils dilated at the mention of His Highness, and the tanned blush on his cheeks grew a shade darker. The soldier was smitten.

“He’s fine. Doing very well, thanks to you,” Vester told him with a sincere smile. “This is the first time ever that we were able to chart his heat cycle. And the suppressant medicine I’ve been giving him has begun to stabilize his pheromones. You’ve… been good for him.”

Ken gave him an embarrassed smile. “Well, it’s hardly to my credit alone,” he said. “This is the least I could do for…” the soldier looked around and dropped his voice to a whisper, “… for my prince.”

“Thank you, Ken,” Vester said before he could stop himself. “From the bottom of my heart, I’m grateful to you.”

“N-no, sir. Why would you say that? You are just as responsible for his improvement as I am!”

That made Vester smile. “I didn’t do anything. I’m just a beta, after all…”

“Uhm. Sorry, but what do you mean, sir?”

“I think that explains enough? I’m just a beta, so my contributions don’t matter as much as an alpha’s…”

“Oh,” he said. “Er… Pardon me if this is presumptuous of me, Mr. Vester, but don’t you think that’s a little unfair?”

“Call me Vester, please. And what do you mean by that?”

“Ah. Yes, of course. Vester… What I mean is that you shouldn’t discount your successes just because of your second gender. I mean, yes, you’re a beta. But that’s not all you are, Vester… _sir_.”

Vester laughed. “Are you tired enough to be sentimental, soldier?”

“Sorry…” Ken said, chuckling. “It’s just… something I realized after seeing… how hard Josh works despite, you know… his second gender.”

“Ah, yes.” Vester could not help but agree. “He’s an omega that has no bounds.”

“Right? It’s very inspiring! It makes me adore him even more—” Ken stopped as soon as he seemed to realize what he was blabbering about. “Ah! I’m sorry. No, what I meant was—”

The beta laughed again, this time, patting Ken’s shoulder.

“It’s okay, Ken. I understand how you feel.” Because Vester _did_. “He really exceeds expectations.”

“I agree… And… I think you do, too. You’re an amazing herbalist and I think you should give yourself more credit for that. I know Josh does.”

They exchanged a mutual smile. Ken nodded slowly and a look of remembrance flashed across his face. From the glimmer in his eyes, Vester could tell he was thinking about Josh.

It should have made the beta uncomfortable, but he was surprisingly calm.

“Do you want to see him?” the retainer asked.

“Beg your pardon?”

“Josh. Do you want to see him? I can take you if you want.”

“Oh, no!” Ken blushed, waving his hands in front of his face as he turned even redder. “No, please. I don’t wish to.”

“Why not?”

“Ah, I just… I’m not decent right now,” the soldier reasoned. “And… ah… I have to report back to my lieutenant today.”

Lies. But Vester let it go.

He let it go like he let everything else go if it meant giving way to the kind alpha soldier with him.

“I see. So, I guess you won’t have enough time to have some tea with me?” Vester asked him with a small smile.

“Tea?”

“I have some refreshing herbal tea that’s good for weary travelers. Would you like some?”

Ken gave him an appreciative smile. “Oh. Well… Some tea sounds great.”

Vester chuckled. “Then, come along, alpha,” he said, already walking ahead of Ken. “I also need to talk to you about the new medicine I’ve concocted.”

They walked down Central Street, Ken tailing behind Vester. They continued to talk about random topics, the beta resigning to the fact that the alpha was hard to dislike. He was forthright, warm, albeit a little easy to read, qualities Vester knew matched Josh’s distant and indifferent façade quite well. And Vester thought that was probably why Ken caught his attention in the first place. Instinctively, Vester thought _this_ alpha was good for _that_ omega. That they belonged together. And perhaps, Vester believed he could make the other happy enough in his stead.

* * *

“How are matters in the Treasury, brother?” Josh asked, moving the glass pawn in between his knight and Paulo’s black bishop.

Paulo let out a pensive hum, then picked up the glass pawn and replaced it with a black one. “The head of the Treasury is not approving the budget requests that are needed for your coronation. I understand that he’s just a beta, but I think this kind of behavior is nearing incompetence.”

“Department Head Sinclair may be a beta, brother, but he does his job well. He is merely ensuring that every request is in line with the allocations we’ve set last year. Surely, that is not incompetence but a commitment to his duty?” Then, Josh moved his rook, sending Paulo’s bishop off the board. His forces were inching closer to Paulo’s king. “Mate in… _two_.”

Justin, who was quietly watching the game from the side, gave a soft ‘ah!’ The second prince’s lips tugged into a lopsided grin. He moved his queen from across the board and placed it to destroy the waiting rook.

“I understand that, but isn’t your coronation worth a little more expense? It will be a momentous event, and he’s hesitating?”

“Perhaps he just thinks it is wise, Paulo. But if you’re certain that his decision is doubtful, why not take it up with him directly?” Then, the Crown Prince smiled and moved another pawn. “By the way: _check_. Mate in one.”

“ _Ah_!” Paulo scowled deeply, his caterpillar eyebrows meeting in the middle. “ _Horse dung_! I forgot you had a pawn there!”

Josh just smiled his signature sagacious grin. On the side, Justin gave a hum of affirmation.

“Because you were so focused on your own plans, brother,” he chided. “It wouldn’t hurt you to see from another person’s vantage point. Mate in one, Paulo.”

“ _Argh_! Wait a minute! I’m still thinking.”

“Sheesh, Paulo! You’re taking too long!” chided Justin.

Before he could do anything, the youngest prince moved Paulo’s pieces for him. Justin reached over the table, grasping at the pieces on the board. He moved Paulo’s queen to rescue the king—a move Paulo was just about to make—then moved Josh’s knight over the queen’s space on the board. Justin maneuvered Paulo’s king back to escape, but then he advanced Josh’s pawn and cornered the king between other pieces**.

“ _Checkmate_!” Justin exclaimed proudly. “Okay, Paulo’s done!”

Josh let out a laugh through his nose and shook his head. “Justin, that was rude.”

“Paulo was going to make the same moves anyway.” The young alpha turned to Paulo. “Weren’t you, brother?”

That much was true, but it still annoyed the older alpha.

“Justin, you really need to learn a few lessons about propriety,” Paulo sneered.

“‘ _A prince must be courteous in waiting for the appropriate time to speak and act_ ,’” Justin recited. “And I did just that…”

“No. You were being a meddlesome brat.”

“Hmp! Grumpy old fart!”

“What did you say?” Paulo half-shouted. “How dare you?”

“Now, now, Paulo,” Josh stepped in. “Justin, Paulo was going to get to it. He was going to make the same moves _and_ be mated just the same, so you should have waited for the old fart.”

Boyish laughter escaped unbidden from Justin’s lips. He gave Paulo a teasing look and stuck out his tongue.

“ _But_ ,” Josh added. “You were also being impatient for your turn. And a prince waits, correct?”

“Hm… Okay, okay. I was wrong. But Paulo was taking up too much of your time, brother! Teatime will end soon, and how long will you have left for me?”

Josh chuckled. “Alright, youngest. What have you for me today?”

Teatime was a special time in the day for the three princes of Athenaeas. Between four and five in the afternoon, when the Crown Prince was set to take a break from his work, he and the other princes retreat to the Eastern Greenhouse. All three of the princes were busy with their own interests throughout the day. Josh with his duties, Paulo training with the Ministry of Finance and Administration, and Justin with his inventions and designs. With the expectations and eyes focused on the monarchy, one would think that the princes would be to busy to have afternoon tea, but the Crown Prince insisted that they make time for each other every day. If it were not a pot of tea and a batch of biscuits, it was a game of chess. To Paulo, it was both a sentimental idea and a fun way to waste time.

Josh was an omega, and he was limited by this fact. It was daunting enough for him to be burdened by an omega’s woes, Paulo did not want him to be crushed by the title of Grand Alpha anymore; at least, not alone. Being the eldest alpha, Paulo took it upon himself to support his brother in any way he could. Even if he was not the Crown Prince or direct heir to the crown, he believed it was an alpha’s duty to support and protect an omega. At the back of his mind, Paulo often thought Josh should not have the luxury of spending an hour with his brothers when he had an entire country to run.

Still, the second prince could not hate afternoon teatime with Josh and Justin. He may be coldhearted, but he was loyal to his kin. The minutes he spends with his brothers always reminded Paulo of the importance of family and brotherhood… even _if_ his brothers ganged up on him all the time. So, yes. Paulo both loved and hated teatime. It was to him a remembrance that he had precious people to protect but not enough hours in the day to spend with them.

While Paulo’s thoughts veered inside his head, Justin had discarded the chessboard, setting it aside on the gazebo’s concrete floor. Then, he put both his elbows on the table, clapped his hands, and faced Josh.

“ _So_!” the youngest exclaimed. “Brother, there’s something I want to talk to you about.”

“Is this still about your worries about the dam’s design and your ideas about heat rooms?” Paulo asked, folding his arms over his chest.

Justin stuck out his tongue at Paulo again. “First, I _do_ believe that the dam’s design is not reinforced enough to withstand a large amount of water; and yes, I am _still_ interested in designing public heat room facilities for alphas and omegas.” Then, the young alpha turned to their eldest with a childlike pout. “But what I wanted to talk about is something _entirely_ different!”

“Which… is?” Josh asked, looking amused.

“Brother,” Justin began, “when are we going to meet your alpha partner?”

Sometimes, Justin also had bright ideas. Paulo also turned to Josh. 

“You know, brother, that is an _excellent_ question. When _will_ we meet your alpha partner?”

Josh just chuckled. “And why, might I ask, do you need to meet him? I’ve never asked to meet _your_ respective partners.”

“We don’t usually partner with the same people two cycles in a row!” exclaimed Justin. “And don’t you think we need to meet the alpha who made you like _this_?!” Then, he gestured to Josh’s sitting figure, a beautiful, doll-like human clad in the black-and-gold clothing for the monarchy.

Josh blinked, not responding. Paulo knew his brother enough to know that this was the Crown Prince waiting for them to explain their curiosity. And perhaps, it was also him not knowing exactly what Justin was gesturing to. However, anyone with good eyes would know that over the past months there were changes to their beloved older brother that went beyond just physical appearance.

Omegas have always been known to possess attractive features. They are all gorgeous, majestic, and even their scent was a sweet fragrance designed to lure alphas. Josh was not an exception. He is incredibly handsome, what with royalty in his blood and the best treatments to pamper him daily, but because of his training in the military and his lack of conscious care for such frivolities, his ‘omega-ness’ had been hidden underneath his rugged and stoic exterior. He donned an indifferent mask with him all the time, coupled with an intense glare that could scare of packs of wolves. He had no scent, thanks to the suppressant medicine he drinks, and the way he behaved was dominant enough to count as alpha behavior.

But recently, it had been different. Josh was softer, more mellow, and there was a glow around him that was almost a halo. His skin looked brighter, his lips seemed plumper, his eyes were more expressive, and every time he walked, it was as if he left flowers blooming in his path, his radiance touching and brightening even the darkest corners. Paulo even witnessed one of the dukes seeming enamored by Josh during one parliament meeting. The Crown Prince was just talking and explaining something that was a serious matter when the said duke began to emit pheromones that hinted at attraction. If not for the fact that they had to call recess immediately after, Paulo had no doubt the entire chamber would slowly be lured by Josh’s charms.

Paulo had been wondering what the cause of these gradual yet powerful changes could have been. He had thought of every possibility, but the most likely was the appearance of the alpha soldier who had been partnering with Josh during his heats. Good or bad, Paulo has yet to decide. All he knew was the alpha affected their beloved omega brother, and it was showing. Everyone could see it. They could tell.

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Except for Josh himself.

Justin let out a disgusted expression and poked Josh’s cheek. “Of course, you don’t… But take our word for it, brother. You’ve changed.”

“Oh…” he said, and Paulo did not miss the rosy tinge on his pale cheeks. “But I still don’t understand why you want to meet Ken.”

“So, his name is ‘Ken’?”

“Yes, Justin. And I hope you won’t do anything to bother him while he’s working. He also has a life beyond me, you know.”

“Hm… And he doesn’t look for you? He doesn’t seek you out, Josh?”

“Why would he do that?”

Paulo joined in on the conversation for the first time. “Alphas tend to feel possessive of omegas they’ve partnered with. It's our nature, and it keeps other alphas off.”

“I’m not sure. I’ve… never really met Ken outside my heats.”

“And you, brother? You don’t find yourself looking for his scent every now and then?” Josh cocked his head to the side. His face remained impassive, but his eyes widened and his blush grew deeper. Justin gasped. “So, you _do_!”

“It’s a physiological response. It’s normal, isn’t it?”

“Yes! But this is _you_ we’re talking about!”

" _Me_?!"

“What Justin means to say, brother, is that this is the first time you’ve involved yourself with an alpha for your heats. As your brothers and alphas ourselves, we feel protective of you. We just want to ensure this ‘Ken’ person isn’t thinking of doing anything sinister to you while you're vulnerable.”

Josh just laughed at them. “Well, you’ll be surprised to know that Ken is the _least_ threatening alpha in the entire army. He gets picked on a lot and doesn’t even fight back.”

“So, he’s nice?” asked Justin.

“Yes,” Josh nodded. At that point, he poured a cup of tea in tiny cups on the trolley beside them. “He couldn’t hurt a fly.”

Justin ‘hmp’-ed. “ _No one_ is that nice.” And Paulo agreed with him.

“That may be true. But I think Ken is nice enough not to harm me. He’s a good man.” Josh laid down a teacup for his brothers and placed a box of imported biscuits at the center of the table. “And even if he weren’t kind, I think I’d be able to defend myself. Don’t you?”

“I _still_ want to meet him,” said Justin.

“Thank you,” Paulo mumbled after being served his tea. “It’s not that we don’t trust you, brother. It’s just that we are wary of him. He’s an alpha, and you’re an omega, after all.”

At that, Josh just smiled. “I know, brother. And this is me telling you that you have very little to worry about." Like they usually did about subjects they could not agree on, Josh held Paulo's gaze sternly as if he was demanding to drop the subject. For a moment, Paulo's alpha instinct told him to dominate the omega's stare, but he knew better than disrespect his own blood and kin. He relented, causing Josh to give him a small smile. "Now, Justin. Why don’t you talk to me about your discoveries?”

The youngest perked then slammed his teacup back down on its saucer as if he had not been talking about something completely different. The expensive china creaked to protest, but it was drowned when Justin let out an excited shriek.

“ _Oh, yeah_! About the dam! So, here’s the thing. I’ve been observing the river for a while now—”

Justin rambled while Paulo kept quiet in his seat, watching his siblings talk excitedly about improvements for the dam that controls the Great River’s flow. Justin was loud and passionate, albeit a little unrealistic about his ideals. Paulo always thought he was brilliant, but he needed to see the real world more for his ideas to be useful to the kingdom. The eldest alpha knew Josh had this in mind as well, but the Crown Prince indulged their youngest, asking him questions and showing genuine interest. It was one of the things Paulo liked about Josh. More than anything, Josh loved his brothers. In return, his brothers adored him.

Maybe it was because they were both alphas and Josh was omega that Paulo and Justin were protective of him. Or maybe it was because Josh had been strong for them since the day they lost their parents. Either way, Paulo knew he and Justin would do everything in their power to ensure their brother’s success. For the older alpha, if it meant holding out on his judgment against a lowly alpha soldier or Justin’s impractical designs, so be it. Paulo would be content with just watching over his brothers while calmly sipping his tea, at least, for the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **see david and goliath checkmate, where the king is checkmated by a pawn
> 
> age-wise, josh here would be twenty-nine, paulo would be twenty-seven, and both justin and ken are twenty-five. the next chapter(s) will be more on plot (fluff, maybe hahaha), so look forward to it!


	10. the exception to propriety

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ken is confronted by his need to get closer to Prince Cullen… as well as the reasons for keeping his distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> skdhal khsda i wrote this in like less than five hours (spread across four days) and edited for about another day more! wow… it’s almost a record for me, since i’m a lazy noodle who doesn’t usually have the flow to write. it’s a little long, so bear with me. without further adieu, chapter ten!
> 
> chapter contains: agonizing alpha; another alpha; crossbows; midnight snacks; new arrangements; mediocre + unproofed writing

# the exception to propriety

The Crown Prince’s typical day was: wake up before dawn and train by himself in the first platoon’s training grounds; freshen himself up in the underground baths of the palace; eat breakfast and be briefed about his schedule; and only then will he go about the rest of his day. Breaks for meals or tea are also included in his timetable, although Prince Cullen often forgoes personal breaks. With the exception of teatime with his brothers, the prince skips his rest periods to give more time for his work. And then, in the evening, he would have dinner with the princes before retiring to his room, perhaps to sleep or do more work.

How did Ken know all of this? The alpha soldier tells himself it was not because he intentionally asks around. Of course, not. Being part of the first platoon, it was just an occupational perk. He just happens to wake up early and watch the prince’s dancing shadow training at dawn. He just happens to hear about the handmaidens' chatter excitedly about helping the prince bathe— _how lucky_ , Ken thinks. And, he just happens to come across the Crown Prince from a distance whenever His Highness moves around the palace. That was it; or so, he tells himself.

In reality, Ken had become sensitive to any information or clue about the prince. It was hard enough trying to hide this from other people; convincing his own brain that he does not look for the prince, or immediately turn at the slightest blur that might be him, or look back when he hears what sounds like his bell-like laughter, or stop when Ken _does_ spot him was like trying to outrun his own shadow. It was tiring and made him feel like an imbecile. Sometimes, Ken would even curse his alpha nature for making him that way. The part of him that sought Prince Cullen was the unruly beast, seeking to claim the omega and mark him as his own.

The worst and most embarrassing part, one that Ken could no longer deny no matter how hard he tried, was the fact that his alpha _craved_ for the omega prince. There was a strong, uncontrollable, and destructive desire inside him to pin the omega down and ravage him until he was a moaning mess; a desire that had reared its ugly head when Ken had his recent rut. In the madness, Ken could distinctly remember imagining that his partner was Prince Cullen—that he was burying himself deep into the prince rather than someone else, and that it was the prince crying out pained yelps with his every claw and grasp. It had gone so bad that Ken, in his lucid moments, could no longer continue using a partner like that. For the first time in his life, he spent his rut alone with only his lust and the mirage of one omega that smelled like freshly cut grass.

_What have I done_ , was Ken’s immediate thought. The moment he snapped out of his sex-filled craze, he had been distressed by the fact he had fantasized about His Highness… during his rut… for _days_. Ken could not sleep for a week, agonizing about the disrespect and the guilt he was feeling. Even more so when his alpha seemed to be stubborn about wanting the omega prince. Only him and no one else. How was Ken supposed to face His Highness then? What kind of death awaits him if Prince Cullen found out? It was one of the worst experiences an alpha could have: to have an uncontrollable urge to monopolize an omega.

It was not as if Ken could stay away from the man, however. When he was not prince, he was just Josh: a quiet, reserved, but brilliant man who was curious about the things his sheltered life could not afford him. Ken quite liked that side of the omega, and even if he chose not to approach the prince outside the cabin, watching and admiring him from afar gave the soldier a sense of contentment.

And what a sight the prince was: beauty and grace and strength somehow born together in one body. Even if he were just sitting on the ground, crouching under the imposing Acacia tree in one of the palace gardens, Ken thought Prince Cullen was the world’s most beautiful omega. The soldier had been patrolling the halls on the third floor when he happened to glance down the window and saw His Highness. Although he had his back turned, Ken could tell it was him from the black hair and coat and red cape worn exclusively by the Crown Prince. The monarch ignored the chilly temperature, busying himself with the flowers that thrived under the tree during winter. As soon as he saw him there, Ken stopped in his tracks to watch his back and admire his ethereal presence.

Should Ken approach? If he did, Ken wondered if the prince would be able to tell that he had indecent thoughts about him.

Maybe he should not.

Ken was still nursing his guilt feelings when cheery footsteps approached, stopping a few feet from him. His brain stopped in its musing when a tall, young man clad in black and gold stood next to him by the window. His handsome, angular face was framed by chestnut-brown hair falling neatly just below his ears. Thin eyebrows, narrow but wonder-filled eyes, a tall nose, and thin lips pressed into a tight smile greeted Ken. If he had not known any better, the soldier would think he was looking at the previous Grand Alpha. But Ken knew the man beside him was not the departed king; rather, he was the youngest prince of Aethen: His Highness, Prince Justin.

“Hello, soldier~!”

“ _Your Highness_!” Ken exclaimed in surprise. He was still a little surprised at how closely Prince Justin resembled his father. The soldier bowed low, hand automatically closing into a fist over his chest to greet his master. “Prince Justin…”

“Yep! That’s me!” Prince Justin said, already speaking informally and with familiarity. He was emitting pheromones, a scent Ken recognized but could not quite put a name to.

“How may I serve you, my prince?”

Prince Justin gave a soft hum. His gentle, cat-like eyes scanned Ken’s figure from his head to his boots before he hummed again.

“What’s your name, soldier?” he asked, his voice playful but knowing.

Ken felt like the prince already knew the answers to his own questions. He answered anyway. “Kendrik Suson from the first platoon, Your Highness. I’m under Second Lieutenant Maverick Lacson’s supervision.”

Another hum. “I see… I’m actually in need of a little assistance, _Ken_.”

“What kind of assistance, Your Highness?”

“Oh… You know… This and that,” he answered vaguely. “Will you come with me?”

Without waiting for a reply, Prince Justin turned on his heel and began to walk away. His pheromones became stronger, beckoning, almost imposing, and the soldier did not oppose it.

He led Ken along the hallways that went deeper into the palace. They took confusing left and right turns, veering away from the known path. Sometimes, the prince walked so far ahead of Ken that he disappeared. The soldier had to seek his faint alpha scent to get back to the prince’s tail. If Ken did not know any better, he would think Prince Justin was toying with him. But he did not say anything out of respect for the monarch. Ken just followed along.

After many turns and unnecessary cuts, they emerged from the maze-like hallways to a long corridor that stretched in both directions. Ken recognized the paths and the view outside the window and figured they were at the very back of the palace, the Northern end facing the forests and Sierras.

Prince Justin turned left and skipped merrily ahead. He did not speak save for his tuneless humming. He stopped at the foot of a winding staircase leading to the castle’s Northern tower, where a large and worn-out sack of unknown objects sat at the bottom of the steps. When he got there, Prince Justin turned back to Ken with a wide grin.

“So!” Prince Justin began. “How strong are you, soldier?”

“Erm…” Ken eyed the sack and then the prince. “Strong enough, Your Highness. Do you need help with that?”

Prince Justin nodded. “My arms are frail, you see,” he explained. “I’m not of the militia like my brothers, so I don’t have the strength to carry this sack up my tower.”

Ken just nodded. Without further questions, he pulled the sleeves of his coat further up before squatting and wrapping his arms around the rough and prickly sack. With a huff, he stood and cradled what felt like thirty kilos of weight in his capable arms.

“Where would you want this, my prince?”

Prince Justin gave him a pleased smile, his eyes disappeared into fox-like slits. He gave a graceful twirl before stepping up the staircase with a bounce in each step.

“Follow me~!” he beckoned then began marching forward.

With great difficulty but no complaint whatsoever, Ken followed the prince up the spiraling staircase of the Northern tower. The stairs were uneven and slippery, but Ken took one careful step at a time. He continued to lug the weight in his arms, ignoring the way his lower back ached and the muscles in his arms burned at the task. Every now and then, Prince Justin would look back at him with an innocent but scrutinizing expression then skip on ahead.

After the sixty-seventh step, the surface finally leveled. The narrow path opened to a hallway with a low ceiling. Smooth, cold stones made up the gray walls on both sides that were well-cleaned and kept, unlike the dangerous steps. A door stood ajar at the other end of the hallway. Prince Justin waited there with both his hands behind his back, looking amused as Ken trudged forward with the sack still in his arms. When Ken got closer, the prince opened the wooden door and walked inside.

The interior of the Northern tower was unlike any other room Ken had seen in the palace. While most of the rooms in the castle were decorated in lavish furniture and fixtures, Prince Justin’s tower looked more like an organized mess of a workshop. The walls were bare, but there were numerous scorch marks, dents, and cracks that decorated the walls. Corkboards cut it neat rectangles were placed in conspicuous areas with cut-up pieces of paper pinned on them, bearing numerous drawings, sketches, and designs. There was an L-shaped table tucked in the rightmost corner of the room where tools and contraptions lay in disarray, some looking finished and some not. Piles and piles of parchment occupied the rest of the worktable next to bottles of ink and a bunch of quills. As soon as Ken saw them, he realized that was exactly how Prince Justin’s pheromones smelled like: expensive, old parchment and metal.

“This is amazing, Your Highness,” Ken mumbled as he set down the sack. His wide eyes raked the entire room before landing on the shelf where interesting gadgets and weapon-like machinery lay. “I’ve never seen such curious trinkets.”

A hum left the prince’s lips again. He approached the shelf and picked up what looked like a crossbow made of metal and wood. Prince Justin admired the sleekness of the design, saying, “I made these myself…”

“Wow! As expected of Your Highness. You are an excellent craftsman!”

“You think so?” the prince replied. He rummaged through a small crate and pulled out a long metal rod with one sharp end. As he loaded the crossbow, Prince Justin asked, “Would you like a demonstration?”

“Beg you pard—”

_Whoosh_! _Sproing_!

Something sharp, cold, and fast passed Ken’s ear, missing his cheek by the millimeter. The next thing he knew, Prince Justin was looking at him, wicked grin curling with satisfaction. He had an arm held out to the front, the crossbow in his hand no longer loaded, but still pointed dangerously at Ken.

It took the soldier a second to look behind him. The metal arrow the prince had fired lodged itself between the crevices of two large stones in the wall, adding a new crack to the ones already there.

_Ah, that explains the marks_ , Ken thought wryly.

When he looked back, Prince Justin was still smiling like he had not just tried to shoot Ken in the head with a crossbow bolt.

“Did you know that I can shoot an arrow better than both my brothers?” he mentioned. Ken knew he was not bragging. The prince was merely stating a fact. “My record is… I think shooting a target that was five hundred feet away?”

Ken just gave him a slow nod. The scent of paper and metal became more poignant in the air. It was laced with dangerous intent, like a warning, reminding Ken of how predators play with their prey before gobbling them up in one large bite.

Ken’s alpha instincts were on high alert. The prince’s pheromones were thick and oppressive. Prince Justin might have looked like an innocent cherub, but the strong and dominant aura surrounding him was a witness he was still an alpha of royal descent.

“You know, my parents died when I was very young. I was five,” Prince Justin began. He turned back to his crate on the shelf and took out another shiny bolt. “I remember bits and pieces about them, but most that I know of the king and queen are from the portraits and hearsay. I guess it’s safe to say that I’m not extremely attached to them.”

Prince Justin examined the bolt in his hands before giving Ken a sharp side glance, handsome smile not faltering from his lips. “You might find it strange, soldier, but whenever people ask me about my mother and father, the face I think of would not be theirs. It would be my brother’s. To me, my mother and father are both Josh. Isn’t it funny?”

Then, the prince continued to smile, looking harmless as a child. But he turned to Ken while loading the dangerous crossbow strapped to his arm. “So, I’m very protective of him, you see. I would hate it if he were to get hurt—physical or otherwise. Not just because he’s the next king, but also because I just don’t like the thought of him in pain.”

Ken gulped out of reflex after allowing his brain to digest everything. Prince Justin might have been the youngest and most inexperienced among the brothers, but that did not mean he was any less of a terrifying alpha. Especially when it came to his beloved omega.

“I gather this is about… my partnering with Prince Cullen, Your Highness,” Ken began.

Prince Justin smiled and gave an enthusiastic nod. “I’m glad you’re fast. I was worried you wouldn’t get it until I _accidentally_ shot you.”

“Uh… Forgive me, my prince, but you aren’t exactly subtle.”

The prince laughed. “No, I’m not,” he said. “And neither are my shots, by the way. If I shoot you, you _will_ feel them.”

“I… figured, Your Highness. And I understand where your worry is coming from.”

“Do you?”

“I am… not an alpha with a pedigree. I practically fell from the sky. I have no royal lineage or anything to be proud of. You have no reason to trust me at all yet, someone like me is Prince Cullen’s heat partner.”

The youngest prince did not move, urging Ken to continue. “But I promise. I do not intend to harm him. I may just be a foot soldier, but if I may be so bold, sir… I… _do_ care… about Prince Cullen… I admire him, not just as a prince, but as a person as well.”

Prince Justin seemed unimpressed even when Ken approached, standing an arm’s length from him.

“And what does that prove?”

“I guess… nothing. But know that I have no ill intentions toward him, my prince,” he said. “So… if I do harm him, I ask that you please shoot me in the head yourself.”

Ken grabbed the prince’s wrist and pointed the loaded crossbow between his eyes.

“I’m unsure if you’re foolish… or too nice,” Prince Justin replied with a cheerful grin. “ _Suspiciously_ nice.”

“I’m… afraid no one is that nice, Your Highness. Not even me.” And flashes of his indecent fantasies about the omega prince intruded his head.

Prince Justin nodded. “Then, I trust you a little bit more.”

For the first time that afternoon, Ken saw a hint of a genuine cheerful smile.

* * *

It was already midnight when Ken finally descended from the Northern tower. After almost shooting him in the head, Prince Justin’s attitude towards Ken changed. He became bubbly, talkative, and had an infinite archive of stories in his head. The youngest prince was not just a pretty face, he was also an inquisitive mind, and he told Ken about many of his discoveries escaping by himself into the forest and the city.

From their conversations, Ken found Prince Justin was indeed protective of the eldest prince. As he continued to tinker with his inventions, Ken giving him a helping hand, he told the soldier about Prince Cullen’s struggles from the perspective of a younger brother. He told him how the Crown Prince had to mature at a young age to fill in the gaps left by their parents perishing in the shipwreck; how expectations of him being a good king only weighed on him heavier the moment he presented as omega; and how, deep inside, Josh still worried that his rule would be challenged if the rest of the kingdom found out that he was an omega.

“It’s not that being an omega is inherently bad,” Prince Justin explained to Ken. “But I think Josh was just exposed to a lot of negative comments about them. Growing up with expectations of being Grand Alpha, he must have thought being an omega meant he would be weak, you know? And because he’s intent on ascending the throne, I think that gives him a lot of stress.”

“Have either you or Prince Paulo ever thought about becoming Grand Alpha instead?” asked Ken.

“Ew, _no_! I don’t like stuffy offices,” replied the prince. “Paulo might have, but we both know that if any of us was Grand Alpha material, it would be Josh. He’s a good leader, and I’m sure if our parents were alive, they would want him to be Grand Alpha, as well—omega or otherwise. It’s just… unfortunate how a lot of people see that secondary gender as a weakness. And now… so does Josh.”

The youngest prince went on to explain that this was the reason Josh showed very little emotion.

“I think Josh tries hard to be perfect so he can make up for the fact that he’s omega. He had gotten so good at hiding everything about him—his identity, his honest thoughts, even his pheromones—to fit into that image of a Grand Alpha. He doesn’t want anyone to say anything against him because he knows that everything he does is being watched,” he explained. “I mean, did you know that at one point, Josh taught himself not to show tears so no one thinks he’s easy to sway with emotion? I’ve never, _ever_ seen Josh cry… _Ever_.”

“That is… not surprising.”

“Yup…” Prince Justin nodded. “I’m glad that he shows us his happy and relaxed side. And I’m sure he’s also at ease with Vester, but sometimes I wish he would allow himself to be sad or hurt or angry, you know? He’s already carrying so much…”

The young prince stopped tinkering with his gadgets and looked pensively at the space in front of him.

“We may be brothers, but there are walls Josh built that not even we can breach.” Then, he looked at Ken, he added, “So if I can ask you, from one alpha to another, I hope you can also be there for him.”

“I will… try,” was Ken’s reply.

But that half-a-promise was easier said than done. Ken thought he was not in a position to ‘be there’ for the Crown Prince. Sure, people like the two princes and Vester might lend themselves to his aid, but who was Ken? What could he possibly give to the prince that he did not already have? Ken was just a passing figure, a common soldier serving his would-be king. He was not a pillar the man could lean on. He was hardly Prince Cullen’s friend.

Ken was still being mildly sentimental, so he decided to take the roundabout way back to his barracks. The staff quarters at the West wing seemed to him like a good place to think, as it was deserted at midnight, so he abandoned his earlier route and took the long cut. It was cold that night, and the subtle breeze made the flame inside Ken’s lamplight flicker. Even so, the open path walk and the cloister it surrounded did not lack light, as the full moon shone down it, swathing the surrounding scenery and Ken’s thoughts in melancholy.

The soldier continued to trudge forward, the omega prince still on his mind, when a hooded figure ahead of him caught his attention. Less than a hundred feet, walking the same path as him, was a petite form sleuthing forward, trying to hide their presence in the shadows.

Alarm bells began to ring in the trained soldier’s head.

“ _Halt_!” came Ken’s conditioned response. He was on high alert at the sight of the possible intruder. “State your business!”

The figure seemed to jump in surprise. They turned around to Ken, both arms raised in surrender. Ken made hasty steps forward to the cloaked person, his free hand already curling around the hilt of his short sword. Perhaps it was Ken’s own paranoia about an intruder or assassin, but the thought of someone wishing to harm those within the palace— _Prince Cullen_ —made his inner alpha growl.

“Wait, soldier—”

Before they could explain, Ken pushed the man to the wall with an arm under his chin, incapacitating them.

“Speak, intruder!” Ken hissed.

The intruder grabbed the wrist Ken had on their neck. Then, a familiar soft voice that Ken only his recent fantasies said, “While I admire your passion for work, soldier, don’t you think attacking your prince is quite rude?”

At that, the man’s hood slid off his head, revealing a mop of silky black hair, pale white skin, beautiful bushy brows, and the most tantalizing eyes Ken had ever seen.

The Crown Prince gave Ken a subtle smirk. “You may want to unhand me, soldier. I _am_ armed.”

“ _Ah, Prince Cullen_ —”

“ _Shush_!” Prince Cullen threw his hand over Ken’s mouth, the supple palm cutting off the solder’s yelp. “ _Quiet_! Or I’ll be troubled.”

“Ah, forgive me, Your Highness,” Ken apologized when the prince uncovered his mouth. He let go of his grip on the monarch and moved back. “It’s just… I was surprised. I thought you were a spy or assassin!”

“A spy or assassin would know better than to walk on an open pathway, soldier,” Prince Cullen reminded. “And even _if_ they didn’t, what could they possibly want from the staff’s wing?”

“Ah… I guess… I must ask you the same question, my prince. What brings you here at this hour?”

The prince opened his mouth but a quiet rumbling responded to Ken before he could even utter a word. It was a low and hollow sound, like an old cat growling. Prince Cullen’s usually indifferent expression cracked a little, showing the embarrassment he kept hidden.

He blushed and looked away, Ken staring dumbfounded at him.

“You’re… _hungry_?” asked the soldier. The prince gave a small nod instead of an answer. “But… why are you sneaking around in your own home, Your Highness?”

Prince Cullen let out a tired sigh. “I… have been told to watch my weight until the coronation. So, they’re limiting my food intake to be sure that I’ll fit into the ceremonial wardrobe. But I’m almost in heat, so I get cravings often.”

“Oh… But… you have an excellent body, Your Highness.” The prince gave him a curious look. “Ah, I mean—”

“While I am humbled by your admiration for my physique, I am afraid that the clerics and elders will not stand for any imperfection for the coronation. They’re conniving with the kitchen staff to make sure I do not eat more than they deem necessary.”

It was Ken’s turn to blush. “So… you’ll steal? From your own kitchen?”

“That was the plan,” he sighed. “But you caught me, so go ahead and apprehend me, soldier.”

“Ah, no, my prince. Please. If you’re hungry, you should eat even a little. Uhm, let me accompany you. That way I can watch out for you, Your Highness.”

The smile Prince Cullen gave made Ken’s heart clench.

“Good to know where your loyalties lie.”

The prince put on his hood again. Without another word, he turned to the right to the path leading to the kitchens. Like the good soldier he was, Ken put off his lamp and followed the prince.

As expected, the palace kitchens were unguarded. Only a large double door made of thick slabs of wood protected the entrance, secured with a rusty, old metal lock. The mere sight of the padlock would have deterred Ken if he were alone, but Prince Cullen was not discouraged. As if he had done it a million times, he crouched down, pulled out a strange tool—“Justin made this for me,” he explained—then began to pick the lock. He moved swiftly and precisely until his nimble movements enabled a soft clicking sound from the metal. The padlock fell open, and the prince let out a satisfied hum.

Slipping between the double doors, the prince and Ken entered the large first kitchen. It was Ken’s first time entering the hall-like room that was almost twice as large as the bunker he shared with the other soldiers. He would have wanted to look more, but there was no time to admire the architecture or the shelves, nor the stacks of porcelain plates, crates of silverware, fancy pots, and expensive china. The moment they closed the door shut behind them, the prince’s graceful movements began to work for his stomach. He headed to one stack of plates, took one, then began roaming around the pantry. Prince Cullen then cut off a smoked sausage from where it hung, then took a small slice of cheese, three round grapes, and a few biscuits, all the while looking pleased with himself. He also walked to a smaller wine rack, picked a random bottle, and released it from its nook. When he seemed content with his midnight snack, His Highness walked to the countertop near a large overhead window and sat there, humming. Ken thought it was refreshing to see him being un-princely for a change.

He must have forgotten that Ken was with him because Prince Cullen flinched when the soldier approached him.

The monarch gave Ken a surprised look.

“Er…”

“I’m okay, Your Highness. Please eat.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Uh… Then, please pardon me.”

An awkward silence followed, punctuated only by the sound of the utensils scraping against the plate and Prince Cullen’s polite chewing. Ken watched the prince eat in the moonlit kitchen. Even starving, Prince Cullen was graceful as he ate slowly and with poise. Ken wondered how he could look regal just eating there.

Prince Cullen shifted his gaze to look at Ken. When their eyes met, they both turned away.

A few minutes of silence followed.

“You can sit down, you know,” came the prince’s suggestion when he had finished wiping his mouth with a napkin. He poured himself a small glass of wine and began to swirl the liquor inside.

“Oh… I’m fine, my prince. Please do not mind me.”

Prince Cullen hummed, eyes trained on the wineglass in his hands.

“This is the first time we’re seeing each other outside the cabin.”

“Uhm… Yes, Your Highness…”

“It… feels a little strange to talk formally to you now,” he said. “I never thought about it much before, but it _is_ quite awkward to switch back and forth.”

“Uh… Y-Yeah. I mean, yes. Yes, it is, Your Highness.”

The prince laughed. “Call me Josh. And I’ll call you Ken. How about that?”

“Ah… but we’re not… this isn’t the cabin, Your Highness.”

“So?”

“I just… don’t think it’s proper for me, my prince. I’m just a soldier here, after all.”

That was perhaps one of the things that had been plaguing Ken’s mind since he became the prince’s heat partner. Ken was a soldier. To be specific, he was the prince’s subject. His loyalty was to his king. He may be inherently kind, but he also wanted to be of service. He felt an obligation to serve his future king with any means necessary. And while he did empathize with the prince's struggles as an omega, Ken was foremost a servant to Aethen's monarchy. He wanted to help this prince the way he knew. To him, this reason justified how close Ken allowed himself to get during Prince Cullen’s heats. Beyond that, he did not think he should get any closer.

He should not. He had restrained himself well so far. But in the past months they had been physically intimate as partners, Ken found his resolve and dutifulness crumbling, giving way to a selfish desire; a need to possess, to hold, and mark the prince ‘his’. Ken wanted to attribute it to his alpha nature, and he had in the beginning, but when the strange feelings remained after he had his rut, he was not so sure anymore.

Loyalty? Service? Ken wondered until when he could use these excuses to mask the emotions he was afraid to acknowledge.

“Is it because I’m the Crown Prince?”

“It’s… improper for a commoner, Your Highness…”

“I understand,” the prince said. His sad smile hurt Ken a little. “My peers at the academy said a similar thing.”

“Please don’t take it the wrong way, my prince. I just thought that you wanted to keep our arrangement a secret to keep people from talking.”

A hum.

“I did. And I guess that made it confusing,” he said. “Pardon me for being shameful, but I actually find myself... looking for your company, Ken…”

“Uhm…” Ken tried to hide the growing blush on his cheeks. “I'm honored, Your Highness…”

Prince Cullen looked down and smiled at his wineglass. “Hm… It would be nice if we could also meet… even if I’m not in heat. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Oh… I, uh… I’m your humble servant—”

“Not as prince and soldier, Ken,” he interrupted. “But just… as companions… Friends, perhaps.” The prince looked at him with pleading eyes and added, “Do you want to be friends?”

“Oh. Your Highness…”

“Don't you want to be friends, Ken?” he repeated.

Ken could only stare at the prince in the dark, waiting. For what? He did not know. Perhaps for his heart to calm down and stop beating against his rib cage. Or for the prince to stop looking so lonely as he stared.

When the silence stretched too long, Prince Cullen sighed.

“I’m only asking what you wanted, Ken,” he said, sounding a little disappointed. “I’m not coercing you into anything…”

Prince Cullen looked down at his wine glass again. There was the slightest hint of his sweet pheromones lingering in the air. Ken only needed to take a small whiff of the sadness and longing in it to make up his mind.

And that was it for the soldier. Weeks and months of agony ultimately came to nothing in a matter of seconds. He let out a nervous, defeated laugh. Ken wanted to groan and complain at how flimsy his resolve was. How fragile and easy to tame. How pitiful that an alpha like himself had no will to refuse this prince… this omega. Ken found himself wanting to give Prince Cullen whatever he wanted, not out of devotion, but out of whim. And if Prince Cullen asked him for his heart on a silver platter, Ken would probably give it as well. No questions asked.

He turned to the prince, smiling a little bashfully. When their gazes met, the prince gave a tentative smile, too.

“If… I were to say ‘no’…”

The prince bit his lip. “Hm… _Banishment_ , I think. Or a lifetime of servitude as punishment.”

“That makes you _little_ coercive, Your Highness.”

He giggled. “Well, coercion is needed. _Sometimes_.”

“Then, I guess… If you allow me…”

“You are allowed, Ken.”

“I would like to be your _companion_ , my prince.”

Josh hummed, evidently pleased. “And would my companion like some white wine?”

“I guess a little bit is fine.”

“Take a seat, Ken.”

“Thank you.”

Ken grabbed a stool, dragging it to where Josh sat. As he did, he thought the smile that came unbidden to the prince suited him well. They talked and drank wine for a few hours while sitting next to each other, a little close, but not too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> that was long. wow. okay. not sure if the soldier’s conflict ended too easily or if i executed it well enough… well, i tried…


	11. smoked pine and morning dew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now closer, Ken begins to notice the slight changes in his interactions with the prince.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter contains: heats; baths; fireplaces; kisses; R18 scenes; unbeta-ed + unproofed writing

# smoked pine and morning dew

Something was different. Ken did not think it was wrong, but he did have to wonder whether he had to worry. He and the prince agreed to be friends, but part of him was still wary about which kind of line they drew where… and how much closer were they going to get?

Hands in a bruising grip on Josh’s hips, strong arms snaked around Ken’s neck, faces only inches apart as if they wanted to share every breath between them. They moved together in an orchestrated dance with Josh riding on Ken’s lap, his stomach brushing every now and then against Ken’s body with each time he drove himself down onto the alpha. Their panting was the only sound louder than skin slapping against skin and the creaking canopied bed. Was Josh aware he was exhaling sweet breaths over Ken’s face and only a sliver of distance was between their lips? Probably not. Because the prince seemed to be busy reaching his inner heavens while he moved his hips, pleasure contorting his face in an open-mouthed grimace.

Ken thrust up and the strong thighs around his waist tightened. The prince cried out.

“ _Ah_ -Alph—there _-theregods_ —” Josh adjusted his hips and drove down hard on Ken again. “ _Oh_!”

“Where?”

“ _Right_ —”

“ _Ugh_ -here?”

“Yesyes— _oh, gods_ …!”

Josh scrambled to get a firm grip. His hands swung around until one found purchase against the wall and the other gripping the hair near the side of Ken’s face. As he did, he swiveled his hips until he seemed to have found just the right incline. Josh leaned forward, his gasps coming out just as rapidly as the way he moved his hips. Ken accommodated him, leaning back to the headboard, allowing the prince more space to move.

With every thrust, every pound, the sensation from the new angle brought Ken to a new high. And it was getting dangerously good. He took deep and steady breaths to remain calm but staring at Josh’s face made it hard to fight the fire in his groin.

Josh clawed the hand Ken had on his hip.

“ _Oh_! Oh-I’m co-ah-m’close!”

Ken gulped. He was, too. But it would be best if Josh finished first.

Keeping up the heavy pace they had set, Ken jutted his hips upward and rammed hard into Josh. Ken also began to tease the prince’s erection, making him keen. And as the rough hands stroked up and down the length, pumping and tugging, the omega’s whines crescendoed in the alpha’s ears. Tremors rocked Josh’s core. His thighs clamped around Ken’s waist and with the quiet scream escaping his lips, he came again onto Ken’s hand.

Josh slumped forward, chasing his breath. With their foreheads pressed together, Josh met Ken’s unfocused gaze in a warm exchange.

“Highness… Josh…” Ken began. “Can you lift your hips… for a second?”

The omega looked down at their sweaty, still connected bodies. “You’re still hard,” he whispered against Ken’s face. Even his breath tasted like dewdrops.

“Y-Yes… Let me pull out for a second,” the alpha pleaded.

Obliging, Josh lifted his hips to let take the engorged member out. The lack of the other’s warmth made both of them whine. When Josh resumed his position on Ken’s lap, he rested his head over the soldier’s collarbone in a comfortable snuggle. Ken would have found it adorable if not for the impressive arousal sandwiched between their bodies.

The soldier gulped.

“Could… could turn your gaze… for one second?” he asked.

“Why?” the prince answered.

“Er… I need to t-take… to take care of this…”

Josh looked up at him. He seemed conscious enough to give Ken a playful smirk.

“Are you being shy, dear soldier?” he asked. He glanced curiously down and teased his fingers along the length. Ken squeezed his eyes and winced, one of his hands gripping the buckle on Josh’s collar.

The smell of mornings in the mountain slowly permeated the air in the room, and Ken hoped the prince would not toy with him so much.

“D-don’t…”

“Ah… So, you can make this kind of sound, too…”

Ken put his hand over the one Josh curled around his girth and growled. “Please… I’ll- _ah_ … take care of it myself.”

But Josh did not relent. He just blinked at Ken and nuzzled his temple against the alpha’s collarbone again. Then, Josh stroked him slow once, and Ken could only throw his head back in response.

“ _Cricketssss_ …” he hissed, a lump lodged in his throat. Embarrassment and arousal made all the blood in Ken’s body shoot in two directions: up his face and down to his groin. This seemed to make Josh chuckle, but the alpha could not reprimand him when he began to pump in earnest. “M-My pr— _Josh_ …”

Responding to Ken’s pitiful plea were the prince’s quick and effective strokes. Ken’s complains turned into heavy grunts and shallow thrusts into Josh’s hand. He gave in to the prince’s inexperienced movements, groaning as the orgasm was coaxed out of him. He dug his fingernails into Josh’s nape and hip. The other responded with several quick swipes that made Ken black out for a second. Stars exploded in his vision, and he finally came in impossible white bursts as his climax rocked his body.

Ken could not see it with his eyes shut, but he somehow felt the omega prince’s amused gaze on his member. Embarrassed, Ken turned away while picking up where the prince stopped and squeezing out the last drops of his cum.

When his final contractions ended and he was but a boneless mess of limbs, Ken opened his eyes. He was met with the sight of the prince sitting straight, looking curiously at the seed dripping down his palm.

“Please…” Ken whispered, sitting up, too. He reached over to the damp towels on the bedside drawer and began to wipe Josh’s sullied hand. “I’d rather you let me take care of my business…”

The prince just chuckled. “I was curious,” he said. “I’ve never touched yours before.”

“B-Because you don’t need to.” Ken sighed. He wiped Josh’s tender palm clean and held it in his rougher and larger hands. “This is… not your job…”

“I’m aware…”

With Ken still holding his hand, Josh reached up and cupped the soldier’s cheek. The soft and supple texture of the omega’s touch felt good against Ken’s face, and he wondered how the same would feel against his lips.

Nevertheless, the prince looked deep into his eyes with an unreadable but thoughtful expression and kept staring.

“Draw me a bath,” he said. “And if you could bring some food, too.”

“Food… in the bath?”

Josh nodded. “Yes. I feel sticky, but I’m also famished.” He cocked his head to the side and added, “Maybe if _someone_ didn’t arrive late in the afternoon, we wouldn’t have had to have intercourse throughout dinnertime.”

“ _Urk_! I’m sorry about that,” Ken exclaimed. “I-It took Vester some time to complete his… birth control medicine for me.”

“Yes, I understood when you told me,” the omega replied and waved his hand dismissively. “Still, I want dinner in the bath. So, will you draw me a bath?”

Ken sighed.

From the haphazard pieces of clothing on the floor, he picked up his trousers, wore them, and handed a discarded robe to Josh. While the prince busied himself with putting his hands through the sleeves, Ken put on the rest of his clothes.

“Alright, Your Highness… Can you walk or should I carry you to the bath?”

Josh just scoffed at him, chuckling. “I can walk, thank you very much.”

They shared a cheeky smile.

Indeed, something about them was different that day. Ken just did not know if he should worry or not.

* * *

The cabin’s bathhouse was a medium-sized square room at the back of the building. It was simple compared to the palace’s underground baths but still much more lavish than the ones in Ken’s barracks. The wooden walls surrounded a large, oval tub made of polished wood at the rightmost corner. There was a nearby rack with a limited assortment of bath oils and salts, imported soaps, and scented candles. Beside the tub was the water pump with a shallow pool and a bucket. A tall wooden divider separated this bathing area from the garderobe and toilet. In the mornings, sunlight streaked from the two porthole-like windows. But in the evenings like the one they were having, bright orange light from the small fireplace illuminated the area as it burned underneath the heating cauldron.

The scent of chamomile and bergamot slowly enveloped the air from the burning scented candles. After taking a deep and relaxing breath, Josh walked ahead of Ken. He carefully disrobed by the tub and submerged in the warm water Ken had prepared. Meanwhile, the soldier placed dinner on a lower level of the rack, setting down a selection of soap and bath salts, too.

He was just about to leave when the prince suddenly stopped him, asking whether he was going to freshen himself up as well. Ken just laughed a nervous laugh and replied he would bathe when the prince was done. But Josh responded with, “Come and join me,” explaining that bathing together would save them time and water.

Without enough wit to reply, Ken just stared dumbly at the prince’s straightforward invitation, wondering if he meant what Ken thought he meant— _if_ it meant anything at all. But when Josh’s glassy brown eyes continued to implore him with an expressionless face, Ken was defeated. He might as well have jumped in the bath immediately for his lack of a will to decline.

And so, Ken shyly removed his clothes, stepped in the bath, and sat at the other end of the wooden tub. It was not a comfortable space with only enough room for two grown men to fold their legs next to each other; but Ken became too timid to move at all. His aching muscles thanked him for soaking in the warm water, his belly was grateful for the cheese, bread, and wine, but Ken’s heart was in a riot inside his chest, panicking every time he brushed his skin against Josh’s in the water.

He looked up and saw the intense gaze Josh had on him. Ken looked away, feigning ignorance while nibbling the bread in his hands.

“Your skin,” the prince began, “is a beautiful color, isn’t it?”

Ken looked up at the sudden compliment. “Er… sorry?”

“Your skin,” Josh repeated. He perched his elbow on the edge of the tub and leaned on his palm. “It’s the shade of copper or bronze. I find it beautiful.”

“Oh… Uh… Thank you,” Ken said eloquently. “Thanks…”

“It’s unusual to find your skin tone this far North. Most people here are pale as I am,” Josh said. He put his knee right next to Ken and the contrast was striking. “Ah… Even your, er… manhood is a similar color.”

Ken choked on the last of his bread. Fire erupted on his cheeks and he gaped at the prince.

Josh looked at his own hand and continued, “I’ve never seen anyone’s that closely before,” came his innocent comment. “Yours is much darker than mine.”

“I-It’s just the way it is. Since I’m tan-skinned,” Ken stuttered, the heat starting to make his ears ring. “I… er… I’m not Athenaean.”

“Is that so? You’re a foreigner, then?”

Ken nodded. “My mother is Dayan, from the Southeastern empire of Daya. Since Daya is surrounded by beaches and trading ports, she said the people there were dark-skinned and dark-haired. Like my mother and I.”

“That makes sense. Dayans have such rich copper skin tone,” Josh agreed. “May I ask why your mother left the Dayan empire? Is it for greener pasture?”

There was a genuine curiosity in Josh’s eyes as he leaned forward slightly. It was this same curiosity that made his face glow beautifully in the candlelight… and made Ken’s chest tighten. He wondered briefly if he should talk about what he was about to, given it was very personal information; but due to the lack of anything smart to say and the need to converse with the prince more, Ken just let his blabbermouth lead. He will save room for his regrets later.

“She… left Daya because was threatened, you see. Or at least… That’s what she tells me.” Ken cupped his knees with both hands and continued. “My mother’s partner back then was a high-ranking official in Daya’s council. He was… basically a nobleman, but that’s about everything I know about him. Uhm… They weren’t bonded, but my mother got pregnant with me some time after being with that nobleman. But1 his mother didn’t look too kindly upon commoners—let alone, omega commoners—and she didn’t want anything to do with my mother… or me. So that woman told my mother to leave or else, they will kill her.”

“That sounds tragic…”

“W-Well, it got better,” Ken said with a smile. “My mother was able to flee to Athenaeas, in one of the port cities near Jed. She found a home in Evlyn, and because she was already into medicines and agriculture in Daya, the herbalists from the village welcomed her with open arms. She’s… village leader now. And, after having me, she bonded with one of the female alphas in Evlyn. So, I guess… she found her happy ending because she chose to leave.”

“Your mother is an omega?” Josh asked.

“Yes…”

“And she’s… the village leader?”

⁰

This fact seemed to have piqued the Crown Prince’s interest more than any other part of the story. So, Ken said, “Yeah… She’s both omega _and_ the village leader.”

Josh put his arms on his knees and perched his chin there. “And how did… the people react to her leadership?”

“Well, she’s been village leader for some time now. I was too young to remember exactly how they reacted to the village leader being omega… _and_ female… _and_ a foreigner,” Ken chuckled. “But even if I weren’t her son, I would be able to say with confidence that she is the only one who can lead us. Being an omega… it gave her a heart for treating people equally, you know? Although, it also helped that no one can ever argue against her. She’s quick-witted and wise. Those qualities didn’t come from her secondary gender… That’s just who she is.”

“She sounds like a wonderful woman,” Josh replied. He stared down, watching as he clenched and unclenched his pale hands. “I wonder… whether I will fare as well as she did… with this wretched body of mine.”

The statement was not meant for him, but it stung Ken, nonetheless. “You… have a habit. Did you know?”

“A habit?” Josh looked up and blinked at him.

“If I can be so bold, yes. You have this bad habit of… referring to your body as ‘wretched’ or ‘damned.’ Or ‘cursed.’ Sometimes, I can hear you whisper unkind words, too… Er… I was wondering if… you were aware of that.”

“Oh… I… _do_?”

Ken nodded. “Yeah… Why do you do that?”

The prince just stared at him. “I’m not sure… I guess I say it unconsciously. I… feel like this body… It’s like an unruly beast or a savage that needs to be tempered. It’s a struggle for every omega. And since _I’m_ an omega, that goes for me as well.”

“Hey…” Ken nudged Josh with his knee. “You’re not _just_ an omega, you know? You’re… a kind and wise and… reliable, loyal… uhm… strong and great leader… And you’re handsome. _And_ you’re an omega. But just that part of you… It’s not fair to define yourself with just that.

“Uh… I mean, I know I’ve been treating you as just an omega, but I don’t think like that anymore. And you shouldn’t, either. Especially once you’re king.”

Josh laughed. The pink on his cheeks glowed in the orange tint. “You really know how to bring someone’s guard down, hm?”

“Ah, haha. People have told me that, yeah…”

“You must get a lot of romantic attention,” the prince teased, splashing some water towards Ken. “You better be careful, then. Empty words can cause much heartbreak.”

Ken nudged Josh’s knee with his again. “They weren’t empty…” he said firmly, trying hard not to stutter or make his voice quake. “Josh, I do believe only _you_ can be the king of Athenaeas. And I… can only imagine myself serving you, Your Highness—ah, no. _Your Majesty_.”

He did a small bow. When he looked up, the prince was trying hard not to show the smile on his face.

“That makes me feel a lot better, soldier,” Josh said. He returned the nudge Ken gave him with a nudge of his own and smiled. “Thank you, Ken. _Really_.”

Ken just replied by splashing water at the prince. When he had used too much strength, however, the water hit Josh square in the face, and he paused. Josh retaliated, and thus began a series of back and forth splashes that continued until the water became too cold for the early spring night. Fingers and toes shriveled like dried prunes, they bathed hurriedly, making sure every nook and cranny was spotless before they retire for the night… and become filthy again come morning.

* * *

Ken was stoking the fireplace before sleeping when Josh’s voice called to him.

“Ken?”

Ken’s immediate reaction was to snap his head in the direction of the veiled bedroom. He turned to the doorway and saw that Josh was standing there in his sleeping gown, a downy pillow dangling from one of his hands.

The prince’s face remained as impassive as always, but Ken was getting better at detecting the smaller expressions on his face. Josh was gauging the air around the room. There was no alarm in the prince’s voice, but his pheromones seemed a little anxious when Ken felt it.

“Your Highness? Are you okay?”

Josh took a step forward. “It’s warmer by the fireplace,” he said.

“Oh… You’re cold?”

“Yes. And… a little restless. I probably just need your pheromones,” Josh explained. “Do you mind?”

“Mind what?”

“I mean… Can I sleep here?”

Ken blinked at him for a few seconds before giving a nod of affirmation. The soldier sat up and fluffed his lone pillow, then discreetly smelled the blanket before trying to dust it. He also patted the thin mattress over the cot and gestured for Josh to sit.

The prince gave him a small but courteous ‘thank you’. He made his way from the veil to the cot with his bare feet peeking out of his nightwear.

When he sat at the edge of the mattress, he said, “It’s a little narrow, isn’t it?”

“Uh, it’s alright,” Ken said. “Are you comfortable?”

The prince nodded. “Yes. What about you?”

“Oh… I’ll…” Ken squatted on the floor where the fur carpet was. “I can sleep on the floor.”

Josh stared at him for two seconds.

Without warning, the prince stood. He grabbed the edge of the mattress on the cot then dragged it down to the floor. Ken began to protest, but when the prince asked him to ‘fold up the cot and put it by the door,’ the soldier in him could not disobey. Josh also went into his room and brought out more blankets and pillows, setting it on the floor with the mattress.

Soon, they had set up a small space in front of the fireplace that was made of bedsheets, blankets, and pillows. The floor was harder than the cot, but the layers of bedding made it tolerable and wide enough for the two of them to lay down on. Josh was on his side, facing the fireplace, while Ken lay on his back next to him, feeling very conscious even of his breaths.

“It smells like you,” Josh commented after a moment of silence.

Ken turned his head to look at the prince. “What does?”

“Everywhere…” he replied with a light chuckle. “It smells of pine wood? But smokey. Like firewood being burnt.”

“Oh, yeah… That’s how my pheromones smell like. Is it too strong?”

“No. I like it.”

“Oh, I, uh…”

Ken let his response trail off in the air. While not a lot of people liked his woody scent, some of his previous partners have told him it was pleasant. But hearing the prince say it made him feel a little bashful and a lot more conscious.

“Er… You feeling better?”

“Yes,” the prince said. “Your pheromones helped. Thank you.”

“Okay… And did you take the medicine Vester made?”

“I did,” Josh replied. “But I don’t know why I need it. You’re careful enough.”

“You can never be too careful.”

“I guess so.”

“Yeah…”

A hum.

Minutes trickled by like the silence. Soon, Ken could hear the deep and restful breaths the sleeping omega took. The nights used to be rare when Josh’s heat subsided enough to let him sleep in peace. Seeing him have them more frequently over the months put a smile on Ken’s face. Little by little, his condition was improving, and he was becoming more receptive to smaller doses of the medicine Vester made him. The omega’s condition was getting better.

As he continued to stare at the ceiling, his heart beating along with Josh’s breaths, his mind wandered. A few months ago, he would not have dared sleep in the same bed as the Crown Prince. And he was sure the Crown Prince would not want to be a soldier’s bedmate, either. That they were laying on the same mattress, sharing the same blanket made the soldier think how their relationship has changed over the months. They have gotten so close… closer than the soldier dared think possible.

The proximity did not necessarily scare him, but Ken had to admit he was feeling a bit perplexed. Because what did it mean for them to be so comfortable with sharing the same bed? How much closer will they get—were they _allowed_ to get? And what would happen when Josh ascends the throne? Will it be acceptable for a mere soldier to stay by the king’s side? When that time comes, what will they be? Where will Ken stand?

The soldier turned on his side to look at Josh’s back. They were not touching, but Ken was close enough to feel the heat radiate off the prince’s skin. Maybe it was his imagination or a trick of his emotions, but the thought made his heart beat a little louder, run a little faster in his chest.

Perhaps Josh sensed his nervousness from his pheromones because a little while later, the prince lay on his back and smacked Ken’s cheek with the back of his hand. The soldier froze when the prince turned his head in his direction.

Josh adjusted his position, then he was unmoving again.

When Ken was sure the prince was still sleeping, he let out a breath he held. No matter how many times he saw it, the prince still looked surreal whatever light he was in. He was divine even with his bushy but beautiful eyebrows scrunching in discomfort and his nose twitching the same way as a rabbit’s. The image reminded Ken of Josh getting splashed with water straight in the face. He chuckled. Reaching over carefully, he smoothened the wrinkles on Josh’s face with the flat of his thumb.

Ken smiled to himself. Beside him was perhaps the most beautiful omega, and he was depressing himself thinking about things that have yet to happen. It was strange how a few innocent questions could make him feel increasingly worse about his own worth. Questions that made him fear the face right in front of him. Surely, his thoughts were just that: _thoughts_. And because they were thoughts, they could not destroy him; at least, not at the moment.

Ken pulled up the sheets over Josh’s shoulder, being careful not to stir his companion awake. He stared at Josh for a second… two seconds… Then, he placed his hand over the one that smacked his cheek earlier. He held it loosely in his hand, marveling at how his tan contrasted with the paleness of Josh’s in a beautiful way. He did not move for a few more moments. When he had confirmed that Josh was still fast asleep, Ken pressed the delicate pale fingers to his lips, kissing every inch, every digit of the hands that were supple for a trained swordsman.

_Stay like this_ , he thought to himself. _Let’s stay like this for a little longer_.

* * *

The next night, Josh insisted to sleep on the floor in front of the fireplace because it was warmer. The night after that, he slept on the floor again. But by the next evening, the prince complained his shoulder was beginning to hurt, so he slept back in the cabin’s room; but that night, Ken climbed on the bed with him. For the rest of the week, they alternated between sleeping in front of the fireplace and the bedroom. Regardless of where they slept, Ken was always with Josh to ease the prince into slumber with his pheromones. And when the prince was fast asleep, the alpha would hold his hand and secretly kiss the prince’s hand. They spent Josh’s next heat cycles the same way, both of them resting to the fragrance of smoked pine and the morning dew.

Months passed. Spring came and went as gently as the warmer breeze began to draft in. Summer was upon them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> daya is a nod to my tribal root, the Mandaya. i’ve only recently found out about this and wish i knew more about this origin and this culture.
> 
> anyway, i struggled with the smut scene in this one (more than usual)… and this may feel like a filler chapter (and it might be)… i just want to say that the next two chapters will probably be this way before we enter the third (gasp!) and final (?) arc of the story…
> 
> please look forward to it. as usual, thank you very much and comments are much appreciated!


	12. the trouble with duty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Josh thinks duty is sometimes troublesome. Be it his or other people's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am honestly a little scared about this chapter.
> 
> chapter contains: looooooong narrations; d&d currency; hawks—er, falcons; stressed prince; shopping; date; shy, shy, shy soldier; why duty is troublesome; unbeta-ed + unproofed writing

# the trouble with duty

_“—with the coronation being less than six months away!”_

_“We understand. But the budget we’ve allocated—”_

_“—the reserves for such emergencies as these—”_

_“—and we’ve yet to finalize the details of the seat plan—”_

_“The invitations! They must be made from gold parchment!”_

_“Velvet! Only black velvet is acceptable!”_

_“The Pre-coronation Gala shall be grand—”_

_“—for the sages during the Endowment rites—”_

_“—the ceremonial wine—”_

_“—gold and platinum!”_

_“It’s over the budget—!”_

_“—Athenaeas’ insignia—”_

_“—choose a consort—”_

_“—Grand Alpha—”_

_“—coronation—”_

_“Your Highness—!”_

_“Prince Cullen!”_

_“Brother—!”_

_“Josh_!”

_Squaawk_!

Like water being sucked into the drain, Josh’s chaotic thoughts were siphoned out of his mind. The loud squawking alerted him to his inattentiveness, and he was brought back to the humid, cylindrical eyrie inside the forest aviary. As he stood in front of a large round window on the stone walls, the Crown Prince found himself staring eye-to-eye with a large bird of prey. The bird’s round beetle-black orbs closed in slow motion then opened again before he gave a soft screech, calling out to his master.

People have always considered hawks unintelligent, but when Nineteen gave Josh an affectionate brush to his shoulder, the prince could call him anything but.

“Were you trying to snap me out of my brooding?” Josh asked him with a fond chuckle. He lifted a gloved finger and brushed Nineteen’s shiny russet feathers. “Or were you trying to ask me for food?”

Nineteen trilled at his touch and nudged his finger. _Both_.

Josh smiled. He put his hand inside the sloshy bucket slung to his arm, fished out a clean and skinned piece of raw chicken, and held it up to his hawk’s face. Nineteen gave a cheerful chirrup then darted the meat in his sharp beak. Two seconds later, the meal was taken into his gullet and down his stomach. Seeing the bird eat well made Josh chuckle for the first time that day.

“Parliament has been nothing but tumultuous recently, my friend,” Josh said. “I thought preparations would go smoother as we get closer to my coronation, but… it’s only getting more and more chaotic.” The prince sighed and took out another chicken piece for Nineteen to eat. “I don’t really understand what the difference is between black velvet and plain black cotton for the garb. They’re both black anyway…”

A deep and tired sigh left his lips. “And I don’t think it makes a difference whether we choose gold or scarlet seal for the invitations. I mean… Why do they fuss over them? What do those have to do with me being Grand Alpha?”

Nineteen paused, staring at Josh for a second before swallowing the meat in his beak. He chirped, and Josh chuckled again.

“At least, give me something that will make me less anxious, Nineteen. I’ve been restless for days…”

It seemed like only yesterday when the Chamber of Lords and the Council formally began the preparations for his coronation. Josh could still remember how excited he was when discussions began about the Pre-coronation Gala, the Endowment rites, and the grand Harvest Festival in time for his coronation. Things he had only dreamt of for years and years were finally being set in motion. Every time Josh signed his name on documents pertaining to the events, a childish glee would wiggle inside his stomach and make him smile.

The closer they got to autumn, however, the excitement squirming in Josh’s gut turned into unease and agitation. So many details he thought were inessential began to appear out of nowhere and cause him so much distress. There were details for the Endowment rites and the Pre-coronation Gala decorations that felt trivial but were made a big deal of. He did not even know bouquets, cufflinks, and ribbons mattered so much for his coronation, yet the Chamber of Lords were at each other’s throats debating cloth and colors.

Josh thought that as King, he would only have to worry about his people and their welfare. Only now did he realize that a lot came part and parcel with that responsibility… _including_ bouquets, cufflinks, and ribbons. Sometimes, Josh wondered if he wanted to sign up for those matters at all.

While Josh stroked the hawk’s head, he sighed again.

“Er… May I interrupt, Your Highness?”

A low, rumbling yet gentle voice echoed inside the room. Josh already recognized it before he could see who it was. He could feel the small smile on his lips as he turned to his left, where the rounded stone walls made way for an open arch. A tall, lean figure stood at the entrance, looking dashing in the Royal Army’s summer uniform. Ken had a big, bright smile on his face that brought out the fullness of his tanned cheeks.

The alpha soldier remained at the doorway from across the prince. He was holding a rusty bucket in one gloved hand while his other was clutching a hefty box-shaped object covered in a thick black mantle. His gaze flitted from Josh to the stone flooring, his blinks rapid as the flutter of a hummingbird’s wings. It was something Josh noticed Ken does whenever he was being shy or embarrassed about something. Why that knowledge made Josh smile, he did not know.

“Are you following me, soldier?” he asked, teasing.

As expected, it made the alpha flustered as he looked up at Josh.

“N-No, Your Highness. I was not.”

“It’s okay, Ken… No one’s around.”

Ken sighed. Then, he took a tentative step forward and repeated his greeting. “Er… Hi, Josh… I see you’re feeding Nineteen today.”

“Yes, I was… _unwinding_. I ended sessions early.” The prince gave Ken’s figure a once-over. “And you? On aviary duty?”

“Er… yes _and_ no. I had some business to take care of here, so the others asked if I could just feed the hawks lunch, too… since I was coming here anyway.”

Josh quirked a brow. “So, they’re making you do _their_ chores again?”

“Er… It was kind of like a favor.”

“It’s called a ploy, Ken. And you’re letting them get away with it.”

Ken just chuckled, no longer trying to argue. They both knew he would lose the debate, anyway. They had already talked at length about how the soldier was too nice sometimes, and the older alphas use it as an excuse to bully him into doing menial tasks for them. Josh had already offered to talk to Maverick about it, but the younger alpha insisted it was not anything to worry about. The prince, of course, was not convinced. But he chose not to meddle in matters that were not his to begin with.

However, Josh could not completely detest Ken’s kindness. After all, it was the very reason he and Ken crossed paths; be it back then when he was suddenly in heat, or now that the prince found himself in low spirits and in need of a little sunshine. The alpha always had a calming effect on him. And as soon as Ken approached, the faint scent of smoked pine hit Josh’s nostrils, the tightness in his chest uncoiled a little. It was one of the small blessings that made him happy he was an omega.

“Why were you coming to the eyrie, if I may ask?” Josh asked him.

Ken put down the mantled box. It rattled a little before settling down. Ignoring it, the soldier began to move from one rounded window to another, greeting every hawk tethered to the posts. Ken busied himself with his chore of placing raw rat meat on every occupied ledge in the eyrie.

“Yeah… I, uh… finally bought a hawk with the money that I saved.”

“Oh! You’ve been wanting one for a while. I’m glad.”

Ken turned to him with a smile. “Yeah… I was going to leave him here while I go and buy equipment and other things.”

“You brought him with you?” Josh eyed the mantled box on the floor when it rattled again. “Is he in here?”

“Yeah,” Ken replied. He hurried to place the last piece of meat on the thirtieth ledge and began walking back to the box he left on the ground. Meanwhile, Josh reached up to Nineteen’s perch—the nineteenth window—and let the hawk return to his home. “I didn’t have anywhere to put him yet. So, I decided I’ll keep him here for a while.”

The soldier crouched to the floor. Josh followed. He lifted the curtain-like cloth from the box, and it revealed a grayish-blue bird with a white underbelly, a bright yellow beak, and with deathly sharp talons. The bird’s eyes grew wide upon seeing its captor, head twitching from side to side while its full chest heaved as the two humans kept staring.

Nervousness aside, Josh thought it was a beautiful specimen; except for the fact that it balanced itself on only one yellow leg.

“Is it injured?” the prince asked.

“Uh, yeah… I bought him because I thought nobody else would. And he would probably end up being someone’s dinner if I didn’t,” Ken replied. “I thought he seemed like a pretty fast hawk, anyway.”

“Except for a few… _minor_ things,” Josh said, chuckling.

“What do you mean?”

“First of all, Ken. It’s not a hawk; it’s a falcon.”

“ _Huh_?!”

“Yes. A peregrine falcon, to be exact,” Josh told him. He laughed when he saw the amusing bewildered expression on Ken’s face. “You can tell just by the color and the shape of the head. And, if you look at the wingtips, you’ll see that they’re pointed. It’s a falcon.”

“Wha—but that merchant from the market told me it’s a messenger bird!”

“Well, it _is_. Peregrine falcons are the fastest messenger birds known to man. But they’re rare around these parts, so we haven’t got much of them. Compared to hawks, of course.”

“Oh. Beetle dung…”

Josh chuckled.

“And another thing. It’s not a ‘he’. It’s a ‘ _she_ ,’” he explained. The prince crouched in front of the caged animal and leaned in a little closer to observe the finer details of her face. “Female falcons are much larger than males. It’s rather difficult to tell by the size, but this one is quite big. Which makes me think it’s female. Lastly, the foolproof way of telling them apart is to examine the markings around their eyes.”

Ken squatted down beside the prince and looked closely, too.

“See the color around it?” Ken nodded. “It’s typically bright yellow for males and a duller color for females. This one’s is a bit pale, so I’m pretty sure it’s a ‘she’.”

The soldier hugged his knees to his chest. “Oh, gods. I didn’t even know about all of those,” he said. “I was too preoccupied with his— _her_ missing leg that I forgot to ask those questions.”

“Yes, I’m sure you were. You’re kind like that.” Ken chuckled shyly. “How much did you buy her for?”

“Thirty gold… Including the cage.”

“ _Thirty_? But that’s too expensive, even with an old, battered cage! You could have gotten the same with only twenty-five gold pieces!”

Ken just looked at Josh with an expression that asked how he knew.

“It’s on the tariff… for the purchases of animals in Aethen.”

“I didn’t know.”

“I think that merchant _also_ knew that you didn’t.”

The soldier sighed while the prince laughed at his demise.

“I should have asked you for tips before I bought one,” Ken said, rueful. He stood and then offered a gloved hand to the prince. Josh took it quietly and stood, too.

“Hm… That would have been wise since I’m a falconer myself.”

“Isn’t there anything you _don’t_ know, Your Highness?”

“Stand on my hands,” Josh replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes. “Anyway, I think you’re going to need some help buying falconry equipment. Why don’t you take me with you?”

Ken, who still had the prince’s hand in one of his, quickly dropped it and stepped back. “What?”

“Take me with you,” Josh repeated. “I have good eyes for them, and I… I want to step away for a little while.”

“But if you go to the market, won’t I… need some sort of clearance from your personal guard?”

Josh chuckled. “Not if you keep it a secret. It’s only for a few hours.”

“You want to go without your knights?!”

“I’m sure it will be alright.”

“No! P-Prince Justin will shoot me in the head…!” Ken said in a choked voice. He began waving his hands in front of his chest. “If not Prince Justin, Prince Paulo _definitely_ will!”

“Nonsense! My brothers aren’t savages… Although Vester might poison you—”

“ _Crickets_ —!”

“I’m joking,” Josh appeased, giggling. “I’ll ask Vester to cover for me. He’ll be on my side. I don’t have work anymore anyway since sessions ended early today.”

Ken still seemed hesitant. “But…”

“Please? Only for a little while,” Josh said with his best attempt at a pleading look. He raised his full eyebrows, widened his eyes, parted his lips slightly, and leaned in. As if there was a force pushing him back, Ken leaned away.

The prince knew his kindness and soft-heartedness were both Ken’s strength and weakness. He was kind, but he was gullible and weak to other people’s pleas. Josh knew this because he sometimes uses it against Ken, if only to get the soldier to comply with his whims. Josh won every single time.

When Ken’s jaw grew slack and his arms dropped to his sides, Josh knew he was winning again. He sighed and scratched the back of his head, saying, “You’ll stick to me in the market, won’t you?”

Josh’s face lit up in glee. “Yes. I promise.”

“And… I won’t be executed for this?”

“No. No executions. You have my word.”

“Okay, okay. But… you have to change into commoners’ clothes.”

Josh blinked. “I’m sorry?”

* * *

Summers in Aethen were warmer than the rest of the seasons. Summer was the time when the sun shamelessly beamed down on the city from its heavenly throne. It was the time when the winter warmers were shed off the houses, and the buildings would be stripped to their barest. Despite the heat, blocks and blocks of homes and shops would courageously open their windows to welcome the summer breeze, making the decorations, the multi-colored banners, and ribbons dance as it passed by. With the cold of winter and the chill of spring gone, citizens would stroll in their colorful assortment of thin and breezy clothes. Weary travelers, too, would trudge along the branching cobbled streets with their cloaks off, enjoying the view Aethen’s summer afforded them. It felt like eons ago since Josh last witnessed the merry sight. Now that he stood at the heart of Aethen and Her chaos of colors, the prince felt so happy he could cry.

One thing deterred Josh, though. His clothes were distracting him in his merriment. The prince had been used to his usual attire of dress shirts and long coats. It felt strange to wear a peasant shirt that billowed in the breeze and trousers that flowed down his spindly legs. The scarf looping around three-quarters of his face was also uncomfortable. Overall, the prince felt like he was dressed like the in-between of a misplaced pirate and a nomad in the desert.

The shirt, trousers, and scarf were one thing. But what really burdened Josh was the smell on his clothes. Or _Ken’s_ clothes that he was wearing. The lingering pheromones that surrounded the prince’s body were almost suffocating. He felt like he might go into heat at any time, _gods forbid_. Josh would have taken his clothes off, if not for the fact that the Crown Prince of Athenaeas should not exactly be seen in the capital without his handful of knights. So, Josh settled for lowering the scarf just above his lips to breathe better. With sheer willpower, the prince fought the fire settling in his bones and walked in step with his companion.

While Josh tried his best not to show his discomfort, Ken could not hide his concern.

“Maybe you should head back to the—”

“ _I’m fine_.”

“But you look like—”

“I’m alright,” Josh insisted. “Please, let’s just keep going.”

Defeated yet again, Ken obliged. He went ahead of Josh, far enough to give the prince room to awe at the sights but close enough so he could reach back and grip Josh’s sleeves like a leash. With a firm grip on his companion’s clothes, he began to stray from the Central Street into the dizzying maze of stalls and tents that was Aethen’s market square.

What greeted the prince was the most surreal view he had seen in his life. He had been to the market before, but only passing by and watching from his carriage, from his protected wooden bubble that kept him at a distance. Standing right in the middle of it now, Josh realized how different the market was. What used to be a portrait that passed by his carriage window came to life around him in an explosion of colors, sights, smells, and sounds. It was loud and crowded, but Josh barely noticed himself bumping shoulders and elbows with other people as he stared wide-eyed at everything around him.

Everywhere Josh turned there would be someone shouting prices or haggling them. Someone would be taking something off, putting something on, looking at an item, or placing it back. People would shove their merchandise at others’ faces to get their interest. And there was a cacophony of ‘Chainmail armor for five gold!’ and ‘Elephant hide! Elephant hide from the Kyzgy safaris!’ along with screeches, purrs, and hoots from various beasts and pets. With the bustle that went on around him, Josh could almost forget how strongly Ken’s pheromones surrounded him, mixed with the fragrance of old garment, wood polish, and moss.

As they went even further in, the space became so tight that Ken had to sling a protective arm around Josh and pull him along. The soldier wrestled past the crowd while the prince’s head would sway in all directions looking at any and everything interesting to his sight. Ken did not complain once, sometimes even chuckling when Josh would ask him to stop so the prince could ogle an interesting item. Then, when Josh’s curiosity would be sated, Ken would grab him again and lead him away from the thick of the crowd.

They ended up in a far corner of the market. It was a less crowded area with more space between the stores and stalls. Only a few patrons and shoppers strolled, some looking for horses or mules while some checking out the equipment on display. The two of them stopped at a humble, square building. It was a small shanty made of mismatched wood with a falling-off sign at the top saying, ‘Animal Equipment and Supplies.’ The dubious-looking store made Josh smile and even excited to walk in. Without waiting for Ken to open the door, the prince waltzed inside and began checking the racks that were fixed to the walls of the run-down building. Ken quickly followed him, and they spent the next few minutes choosing from a variety of basic equipment for training birds of prey.

After looking for some time and weighing their options, Josh suggested buying a complete falconry kit rather than piecemeal equipment. To him, the set was a better purchase, given its condition and the variety of inclusions, but after hearing it was worth five gold pieces, the soldier looked hesitant. When Josh asked why, Ken shyly replied he wanted to spend less than that amount. The prince would have wanted to pay for it, but Ken declined before he could even make an offer.

Just seeing Ken’s disappointed face made Josh feel a little sorry.

“Excuse me, sir,” he called to the owner. The huge, burly man with a bald head and thick limbs approached Josh with a scowl on his face. He stood almost a head taller than the prince, and as he looked down, the tiny glasses at the tip of his potato nose almost fell. “May I ask again how much this falconry kit costs?”

“Five gold,” the man replied curtly.

Josh tugged his scarf lower, much to Ken’s alarm, tilted his head and gave the owner a blank look. “My dear sir, we can only spare three gold for our purchase. Won’t you give us a bargain?”

“Five gold,” he repeated.

“Still five gold?” Josh asked again. “Even if the gloves are a little bit tattered, sir?”

“Standard price,” the man answered firmly.

“Oh, but my friend really needs it.” Josh began to release the tiniest amount of pheromones as he leaned closer to the man. Judging from the reaction, the owner was an alpha. Behind them, Ken gasped. “He’s _very_ excited, you see. He just bought his first falcon. A beautiful peregrine.”

The owner’s scowl remained, but he seemed a little charmed.

“… Five gold.”

“How about four, my handsome fellow?” the omega prince smiled. “Four gold. Surely, you’ll allow us this discount?”

He growled.

“Four gold? For my friend and I? _Please_?”

The owner grunted. He patted Josh on the head and walked over to Ken, who was watching the exchange like a petrified corpse. The larger alpha grabbed the wide pouch on the shelf and shoved it into Ken’s hands. Then, he held out a large, calloused hand, saying, “Four gold.”

The prince felt smug.

New purchase shoved into a larger knapsack, Ken and Josh bid the man farewell. Both were chuckling quietly to themselves as they walked away from the shop. The soldier was in disbelief at Josh’s persuasiveness, while the prince enjoyed the idea of his pheromones being useful for once.

Ken gave him a grateful smile, nudging him fondly then gesturing for Josh to follow him. When the prince asked where they were going, Ken just replied, “We have a gold piece to spare.” And he walked on again.

Crossing the Central Street, Ken led Josh to the other section of the market square. It was just as hectic and chaotic as the other half but in its own way. While the first was a circus of equipment, antique gear, and supplies, the one they entered was a haven thick with the scent of baked goods and savory meals. There were rows and rows of stalls boasting a variety of food: from fried chicken bits, grilled meat, and smoked cuts to sweet pastries, candied fruits, and iced desserts. Drinks of different colors swirled inside transparent jugs while some rested in heated cups and mugs. Just the scent in the air made the prince’s mouth water.

In between the food stalls, there were also spreads on the ground showcasing smaller trinkets and souvenirs—knick-knacks Josh had never once laid eyes on in his life. Sure, the palace had its own treasures, but the prince had never found so many interesting quills, handicrafts, and shrunken heads.

One particular item caught his attention. It was a long, feathered quill that was white and elegant, plucked from the plumage of an albino peacock. Josh had never seen anything so unique, and so he quickly peeked into his small pouch of coins to buy it.

“Ah, _forks_ …” he whispered.

“What’s wrong?” Ken asked, appearing behind him with a concerned look.

Josh leaned up to whisper in his ear. “I only brought platinum pieces,” he said.

“ _Everything_?!” the soldier exclaimed. “Nothing smaller?”

“Nothing… I don’t… I don’t really _have_ change.”

“What were you going to buy?”

“Just that quill.”

“Which one?” Josh pointed to the exact white, feathered quill that caught his eye. The soldier sighed. “Uh… Okay. Wait.”

Josh watched the soldier call the owner. Ken gestured to Josh’s favored item then asked how much it was. Without any more questions, he fished inside his pouch and took out a small silver coin, handing it to the merchant.

When the purchase was done, Ken turned back to Josh with the quill in his hand and a small smile on his lips.

“Here. It’s this the one, right?”

“You bought it for me,” Josh said, taking the feather and admiring it between his fingers. “But I thought you were going to buy something else with your last gold piece?”

“Yeah, well… I wanted to buy something for you, too. As thanks.”

Josh smirked at him. “And now, you only have nine silver left.”

“Uh, yeah… Are you feeling hungry?”

“A little,” the prince replied.

Ken nodded. “You’ll be surprised how much nine silver can buy us.”

With their nine silver pieces that were merely pocket change to the prince, Ken bought them a feast. It was not lavish by any means, but Josh found himself unable to resist everything Ken bought him that was skewered on a stick. Whether it was chicken, beef, or fish, the prince could no longer tell when he was modestly inhaling the food they bought for cheap. They even helped themselves to free samples of diced fruit and fresh vegetables. And when they had become quite full of food and drinks, Ken spent his last four copper pieces on a shaved ice dessert that Josh had been eyeing since they passed it by.

Later, when they made their way quietly back for Josh’s afternoon tea time, Ken asked him if he had fun at all. Josh gave him a small chuckle, saying, “I’ve never been fuller in my life,” which had the soldier confused.

The prince laughed at him without saying anything more because try as he might, Josh could not explain how just nine silver could make his stomach and his heart so full.

* * *

They were resting for a while at the King’s Study. It was Josh’s safe haven located at the palace’s southern tower. The prince liked it for several reasons, the first being the peace and quiet the isolation gave him. Second, it had a large glass window that gave him a panoramic view of Aethen. Whenever Josh was feeling down or tired, he would stand from his writing desk, turn around, and marvel at the beauty spreading below him in all directions. As Josh admired the capital, he could not help but think about how he came to be Her Crown Prince.

“Are you being sentimental?” asked Ken, trying to be playful.

Josh let out a laugh through his nose. Without turning to Ken, he said, “I was reminiscing.”

“Er… About?”

“Many things,” the prince answered. “But mostly about my promise.”

“The one you made to your parents?”

Josh nodded. “Do you know the story of how they died?”

“No…”

“Do you want to know?”

“You don’t have to tell me… if you don’t want to.”

Josh gave him a small sideways glance. When he turned back to look at the city below him, he sighed. It was a story the prince never bothered telling anyone, not even his brothers. Josh felt bringing it up would make him look like a pitiful young prince who had to watch the shipwreck that took his parents away. He never wanted pity or charity. He did not need it. But as he felt the soldier’s attentive stare from his left, Josh only felt Ken’s willingness to listen.

He had probably gone soft. If, in the past, he had withheld such intimate memories from the soldier, now he found himself wanting to bare even his most trivial stories.

“The night of the shipwreck, I was going to sleep in my mother’s chamber,” he began. “Paulo and Justin were in a separate room, being taken care of by our retainer, Vester’s mother. I remember it was storming back then, and I couldn’t sleep because of the strong waves and the rocking of the ship. So, I got up, walked to my parents’ chambers, and found my mother looking out the porthole in her room.”

Ken was quiet beside Josh. He did not move, save for the single step closer he took.

The prince continued.

“I think she was lulling me to sleep beside her then. I’m not entirely sure if I was already hearing the ruckus from the men outside or whatever. All I could remember was my mother covering my ears as she held me to her bosom. Then, she asked me if I could do her a favor.”

“What did she ask?”

“She asked me if I wanted to be King.” Josh looked at Ken. “It was so simple back then. I was a child, barely ten. So, I hugged her tight and promised that I would. If she would be my Queen, I would. I think I fell asleep after that.

“And then…” Josh breathed. “And then, when I woke up, we were sinking.” The prince closed his eyes and played the memories in his head. “There was water gushing into the room. People were shouting and water was sloshing all around. It was still raining hard and thunder booming in the sky. I remember I was scared, and I just clutched my mother’s dress as she held me close.

“A while later, everything was sideways. They say lightning struck the ship and damaged one side so badly that it broke in half. We were still sinking.” The prince opened his eyes. “Everything is a blur. I don’t remember all of it. My mother, I think, wanted to go out, but she was caught by something heavy… was it a wardrobe that fell over? I don’t know. But she couldn’t move and I was crying trying to help her. When my father, the King, came, she begged me to let go and told me to keep my promise. Then, my father ripped me off my mother’s arms and took me away. I never hated him more in my life than right then.

“He put me in a boat with the women and my brothers. It was surprising how those two slept with all that chaos. Maybe it was the gods trying to protect their innocence in exchange for mine.” Josh chuckled fondly. “I didn’t want my father to leave but he, too, told me of my duty. That my duty was to my people, as next in line to the throne. Can you imagine? A ten-year-old being lectured about duty and then accepting them because it was passed on to him by his beloved father.

“So, I stayed. I thought that by staying, I would be helping my father get back safely with my mother. He never came back, of course. Half of the ship sank to the bottom of the sea and the other half was burned in a fire that withstood the rain. I don’t even know which half my parents died in. I just know they died in a shipwreck.”

“Josh…”

The prince felt Ken’s worried stare first and then the warm hand that was gently caressing his after. He let out a laugh.

“Do I seem lonely to you?” the prince asked. He did not give Ken a chance to respond, although the prince gripped Ken’s hand tight in his. “I’m not. Those memories don’t really make me sad anymore. In fact, they don’t make me feel anything.”

Josh gestured to the expanse of land that was splayed below them. “But all this does. Aethen brings me so much joy and restlessness. It brings me life. And _this_ is what my parents left me. Their legacy. This kingdom, this land. My brothers and Vester, my advisers, the lords, and my people. My parents may be gone, but part of them is with me still. It’s just sometimes, I worry about the wrong things and forget what I have.”

He looked at Ken and gave a sincere smile. “Today, I forgot again. And you helped to remind me. For that, I’m grateful.”

Ken squeezed his hand. As he did, the air between them began to smell of smoked pine and wood forests.

“That’s the longest piece you’ve said to me in the time we’ve known each other, Your Highness.”

“Is that so?” Josh replied, laughing. “It’s a long story, after all. A long memory. But thank you for listening.”

Ken nodded. His smile seemed both proud and awed. “I will listen to all your stories, my prince. If you want me to.”

“Thank you, Ken,” Josh said. He locked gazes with the soldier, making sure Ken felt the weight of his next words. “You’ve done so much for me. More than I could ask for. More than you need to do.”

“I would do… anything for you, Your Highness.”

“Thank you… very much.”

Josh held their entwined hands up to his face. Then, in the manner a gentleman would, he kissed the back of Ken’s hand to show just how much he meant his thanks. It only lasted for a second, but the buzz on Josh’s lips felt like it would remain with him for days… maybe even after.

Surprised, the soldier jumped. He took a step back like he was struck by lightning, his pheromones exploding in the air around them a second later.

“Ken, what’s wrong?” Josh asked when Ken took his hand back. He stared at Josh, red in the face while blinking more furiously than the prince thought was possible. “Ken?”

“I—sorry. I was just surprised,” he said. “I mean, I— _Sorry_.”

Josh chuckled. “I’m sorry, too, if I surprised you. Are you okay? You’re emitting pheromones.”

“Wait, I’m—My phero—I’m emitting pheromones?”

“Yes. Since a while ago at the market.”

Ken paused, scowling. But the blush on his cheeks remained. “Sorry… I’m probably just tired.”

“I understand. Why don’t you rest?” Josh suggested. “You didn’t have to take me all the way back here, you know.”

“Yeah, I know. I wanted—er, I’ll… I guess I’ll be heading out now, Your High-my prin—I mean, Josh.” Ken bowed with a fist to his chest, stepping back at the same time. He hurried to go out the door, closing it quietly behind him.

Josh could only watch, confused.

Only a second after he had gone, Ken came back again and peeked through the door.

“Er, sorry, Your Highness,” he said, stepping inside. Ken pointed to the knapsack resting by one of the bookshelves in the study. “I, uh… left my bag.”

“Oh. Go ahead and take it,” Josh said, nodding.

He watched Ken lumber toward the bookshelf, unable to look at the prince in the eye. When Ken had slung his bag over his shoulder, he gave a short bow again.

Josh thought he would walk straight out the door, but the soldier halted just before he turned the knob. Ken looked back at Josh, face red and still blinking rapidly.

“J-Josh?” he called out.

“Yes?”

Funny. Josh’s heart seemed to have been paralyzed in his chest.

“I, you. _Uh_.” Ken took a deep breath then licked his lips. “I pledged… my loyalty and service to you,” he said. “And know that—that I will lay down… even my life for you. Uh… You don’t need to thank me for anything, my prince. I do it be-because I’m your soldier… I care ab-about you, and I serve you with all my heart. Er, that’s—that’s all.”

Ken stared. Josh could do nothing but stare back.

“Uh, yeah. I’ll leave now.” Ken bowed. “Go-good afternoon, Your Highness. Uhm. Enjoy… your… _feather_.” He bowed again.

The soldier turned around quickly and left. But even with the door closed, the prince could hear the muffled, “‘ _Enjoy your feather_?’ Ugh… _idiot_!” from the antechamber.

And then, it was quiet.

The door to the King’s Study remained still and closed for a while. Josh was left alone in the large chamber, staring dumbfounded in the direction Ken had gone. But even after the soldier had left, his scent and his vague words lingered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pacing the second and third parts was a struggle. i managed, somehow, but i wonder if it was executed well enough. i would appreciate feedback. hopefully it wasn’t too fast??? i don’t know. 
> 
> as for denomination, i used dungeons&dragons currency. 1 platinum = 10 gold = 100 silver = 1000 copper pieces (https://dnd5e.info/equipment/currency/). commoners, like ken, typically live on 1 gold piece a day, so you can just imagine how much the falconry kit cost… and how much the quill and their snack cost them, too!
> 
> this is the chapter where my inner d&d enthusiast came alive ; _ ;


	13. frustration, feelings, and firstlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ken’s vague words continue to torment the prince. Josh goes through several emotions to figure out why, but not quite finding the answer he expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter contains: dust, duty, news, swords, attempts at writing a fight scene, and staring at the sky while dawn arrives; unbeta-ed + self-proofed writing

# frustration, feelings, and firstlight

A singular speck of dust, fluffy and round, aimlessly floated as it rode on the beam of light filtering through the window. It spiraled in its path, careening left and right, until it landed on a beautiful white bristle. It found its place and held on tight. A slight breeze blew it away, but even when it lost its perch on the feather, the speck of dust found its way back. It was as if it knew how to get there.

_Why do you come back, lovely speck_ , the prince wondered. _Is it out of duty that you return_?

Prince Josiah Cullen, Crown Prince and soon-to-be Grand Alpha, puffed his cheeks and blew air on the magnificent white quill in his hand. The speck of dust wavered and swayed, but it fell back on the feather anyway.

Josh sighed.

“What’s wrong, Highness?”

A familiar warm hand latched itself onto the crook of Josh’s shoulder before placing an exquisite porcelain teacup in front of him. Josh blinked, brought back to the King’s Study. His vision focused on his organized mess of a worktable and then at his visitor.

“Vester…”

Vester smiled.

“You should take a break if you’re tired.”

The beta’s smile was knowing and fond, like the hand he kept on Josh’s shoulder. As a retainer, Vester had been more than reliable in taking care of Josh’s needs, especially when the prince was neglectful. Josh never had to worry about missing a meal or running out of tea whenever Vester was around. And when the man smiled, Josh often felt like his radiance could take away the least of his burdens.

But not this.

“You’ve been sighing all afternoon, Your Highness,” Vester told him, brushing a stray strand of hair on Josh’s forehead. He carefully tucked it behind an ear, the expression on his face thoughtful. “You’ve been working so hard lately. How about a day off?”

Josh ran his fingers through the wisps Vester fixed. “Maybe. When I finish signing these invitations,” he replied.

“Alright. Well, if you need me, just call for me.”

“Vester… _Wait_.”

The beta turned. His almond-shaped eyes widened just a little as he caught the prince’s gaze. Without further questions, the retainer faced his ward again.

“Yes?”

Josh gave him the sincerest expression he could manage. “Vester, you’ve been my retainer for almost a decade now. And you’ve endured so much for my sake,” he began. “I wonder… why do you do this for me?”

“You’re asking me why?”

“Yes.” The Crown Prince nodded. “Surely, with your talents, you could have gone elsewhere… Worked for healers and apothecaries. Yet, you remain with me. Why so?”

Vester always had a confident look on his face, so it was a surprise when he looked stunned for a moment.

So, Josh pressed, “Is it because your mother entrusted me to you?”

“Well… yes. That’s part of it. I was my mother’s assistant ever since. It would make sense for me to take on her role now that she’s retired.”

“I see. So, you do it out of duty?”

“Primarily,” he agreed. The retainer gave Josh one of his teasing smirks. His eyes disappeared into beautiful crescents as his cheekbones rose from a smile. “After all, can you imagine you without me? Poor Aethen, having a King without his talented retainer.”

“And… what does it mean that you do it out of obligation?”

At that, the retainer’s expression became more serious. “What do you mean?”

“I mean to say…” The prince’s gaze fell, landing on the beautiful white feather on his desk. “If you do it out of duty, does that mean… you’re doing this because you have to? Because you feel compelled? Compelled to serve?”

“Oh, Josh…”

Vester hurriedly returned to the prince’s side. His long and muscular legs crossed the distance between them, and he knelt in front of the prince, holding his hand.

He sighed.

“Alright, alright. I’ll humor your sentiments for once.” Vester gave him a wide grin. Josh smiled, too. “It’s true that I do this because it’s my job. It’s what I get paid for. That’s obvious. I have to support your Kingship.” He looked away, and his grin turned bashful. “But if you ask me why I stay with you, it’s not just because of duty. It’s because I care about you, Josh. _Truly_.”

Josh felt a slight squeeze on his hand before Vester continued, “And I’m sure the people who serve you do it for the same reason. They believe in you. And it is their honor to serve you.”

As Vester talked, he looked at the hand he had over Josh’s as if talking to them. The prince could see the genuine emotion in the retainer’s eyes. Josh smiled a little wider. It made him happy knowing that he had someone like Vester on his side: kind-hearted, loyal, and easy to be around. Josh had always felt a connection with him; with Vester around, he felt like he could be Grand Alpha.

Yet why did Vester’s words not satisfy him?

Josh lifted his gaze from the retainer to the singular feather on his desk.

_“I do it be-because I’m your soldier…”_

_So, out of duty._

_“I care ab-about you, and I serve you… Er, that’s—that’s all.”_

_That’s… all?_

A day had passed, yet Ken’s vague statements continued to boggle the prince. For a reason Josh could not quite place, the soldier’s promise of service was not comforting. The prince knew it should be; each one of his soldiers must have the same sentiments. But the more he thought about it, the more disturbed he became that Ken’s kindness and thoughtfulness might be nothing more than a soldier doing his job.

The words were like a heavy sentence on him, like chains wrapping around his chest, getting tighter and tighter as they squeezed the air out of his lungs. The ambiguity of it all was painful. Josh did not know why.

“That’s all?” he probed. “Nothing more?”

Vester’s curious glance met his. The retainer quirked an eyebrow at him before glancing at the quill Josh had been keeping with him. Vester looked back up at the prince with an understanding smile.

“I’d answer that,” the beta replied, “but I have a feeling this isn’t about me.”

Josh continued to stare at him without a response.

“If it’s not, Your Highness, why are you asking me?” the retainer barked with a laugh.

Josh frowned. He did not know either. Maybe he was looking for someone to listen and tell him he was going crazy or turning into a sentimental old man. Maybe he wanted an assurance that… the prince did not know either.

“Why don’t you finish up with work,” Vester suggested, nudging Josh’s cheek with a finger, “and when you’re done, ask the person you should be asking, hm?”

The prince stared at his table, at the piles and stacks of documents and small cards waiting for his signature. He had agonized so much about the troubles of duty that he forgot his own. He sighed.

“You’re right. I should do that,” the prince said.

“Alright. Call me if you need anything, Josh.” Vester gave his hair a soothing caress. “I’ll be at the barracks, checking the army’s perinox supply. Okay?”

Josh nodded. “Thank you, Vester. I appreciate you.”

The retainer snorted through his nose. “Well, I appreciate you, too.”

* * *

With the mountain of documents he needed to sign, it took the Crown Prince a few hours to finish his duties. There had been more requests for approval that week, and no matter how fast he worked, there was always another document for him to check. There were procurement forms, acquisition requests, permits, and entry passes to approve. And just when Josh thought he could finally go to Ken, his brothers reminded him it was time for their afternoon tea.

At past five in the afternoon, Josh gathered his cape, buckled his sword to his belt, then finally traversed the distance from the Eastern Greenhouse to the first platoon’s training grounds. His hurried steps were accompanied by five or so pairs of boots walking behind him. The Crown Prince’s personal guard was not talking, but they seemed curious about what they were doing at the first arena.

The first platoon was still in formation as the prince arrived. All the soldiers’ heads turned to the arena's wooden gate as Josh pushed it open and entered. The cadets stood to attention. They kept their postures straight, but they trained their eyes on the prince. Josh could still not get used to it. He had been to visit the soldiers many times, but recently he has been getting many dazed looks. It was as if the alphas were seeing some sort of pleasant vision as he walked by them.

_It must be my omega qualities_ , Josh reasoned. To his surprise, it did not make him feel as bad as he thought it would. Although he would have preferred if the alphas were more disciplined with the way they stared.

The prince gave one infatuated-looking soldier a cold glare, making the young man look elsewhere.

“Maverick,” Josh greeted the lieutenant at the front of the crowd.

Second Lieutenant Lacson stood in front of the huddled group of soldiers with a look of confusion.

“Your Highness,” he greeted, hand to his chest. “I was just giving them final instructions before exchanging shifts with the second platoon.”

“At ease, Maverick,” Josh motioned. He raised his palm, and the lieutenant relaxed. “How have things been?”

“Excellent, Your Highness. As expected, my men’s performance has been stellar.”

“And your promotion?”

Maverick chuckled. “I’ve yet to get confirmation. But I should hear from the General soon.”

“Congratulations, dear friend,” Josh said, smiling.

“Did you really just come down here to congratulate me, Josh?”

Josh chuckled at his friend’s raised eyebrow. Maverick crossed his arms over his chest and smirked at the prince.

“You’re right,” he said. The prince scanned the small group of men, looking for one specific face. “I was hoping I could talk to the soldier boy.”

“Ah, you mean Suson?”

“Yes. I have… urgent matters to discuss with him.”

His friend gave him an apologetic smile. The blush on his cheeks was hard to miss. “I’m afraid our village boy has been out of commission since yesterday, Josh.”

“Out of commission? Why? Is he ill?”

“Ah, no. Nothing like that,” the lieutenant answered. “He’s… well… He went into a spontaneous rut.”

The prince’s ears perked. “He’s in a rut? _Right now_?”

“Yes. He began showing symptoms late last night. I ordered him off today to give him time to calm down.”

Josh paused. He remembered how Ken’s scent quickly filled his study yesterday. He thought it was because of his affinity to the alpha’s pheromones in the first place. To think Ken would suddenly be in a rut.

“And where is he?”

Maverick chuckled shyly. “I sent him off to find a heat nurse. He’ll probably be back tomorrow if he, uh… if he’s taken care of it.”

“He went to look for a partner?” Josh’s gut tightened.

“Yeah. He said he was fine, but I didn’t want him agitating the rest of the platoon with his pheromones. I promise he will be back shortly, Your Highness. Please, don’t take it against him.”

But, of course, Josh would not take it against him. It was protocol for any alpha soldier in a rut to be isolated from his platoon. Alphas tended to be aggressive and short-tempered around their heat cycle, so explosive behavior cases were expected. As Crown Prince, Josh objectively knew that it was only natural for an alpha in a rut to look for a partner. So why did hearing about Ken’s rut offend him?

“A-Are you okay, Josh?”

Josh did not know what kind of murderous expression he had, but Maverick looked nervous.

“Sorry, Maverick. I was… thinking of something.”

“It’s okay. You sure have been having it hard recently.”

“Oh, you have no idea.” Josh smiled at his friend anyway.

“We’ll do our best to support your upcoming coronation,” Maverick bowed, “ _Your Majesty_.”

Josh chuckled at him. “I’m still not crowned, _lieutenant_. But I look forward to it.” They shook hands. “If Ke- _the soldier_ comes back early, please tell him I wish to see him.”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

Josh turned, leaving the instruction behind and ignoring the captivated gazes he had been getting from the alpha crowd.

* * *

For some odd reason, the knowledge about Ken’s rut kept Josh up all night. At first, he wondered how he had not thought about it before. Ken was an alpha; all alphas have their regular ruts. It was not so surprising for the soldier to have his, albeit spontaneous. The prince should have known, but he had not. He had not thought of Ken as having sexual urges and fertile cycles in the past. He did now.

Sometime into his musing, a different vein of thoughts plagued his mind. While Josh was lying in his bed, Ken was having his rut that exact moment, and he was spending it with an unknown person. Ken, the alpha soldier who had been quelling Josh’s heat cycles for many months, was holding another to satisfy his unbridled lust. That bothered the prince— _a lot_.

Josh did not know why, however: did not know why imagining the soldier’s tanned skin brushing against another made him anxious; did not know why thinking of Ken’s low, rumbling voice whispering some stranger’s name felt like sacrilege; did not know why, while thinking of how the alpha would praise his faceless partner, Josh felt like waging war against them. But most of all, he did not know why Ken did not just ask to spend it with Josh; so, what if they did not have such an arrangement? Was it not normal— _expected_ , even—for him to seek Josh out for such instances?

Near dawn, the prince sat up on his bed and blamed his omega nature. Yes, that must be it. Ken was the first alpha who had held him more than once and the only alpha he had gotten so close to. The idea of someone else leaving their scent on Ken must be what was bothering him. The rationalization appeased the worst of Josh’s inner turmoil. However, it did not entirely satisfy his frustration. Josh was restless all over. So before dawn broke, he got up, changed into his training clothes, and walked right to the first platoon’s arena to break off a sweat. It was still a little bit dark to train, but the prince was wide awake and needing something to ease him.

_Nine hundred and ninety-one. Nine hundred and ninety-two. Nine hundred and ninety-three_.

The prince swung his sword in sure strokes. He could not see much from the blue-black mantle around him, but he did not mind. The sound of metal slicing through the air was pleasant, and he found it relieving.

_Nine hundred and ninety-four. Nine hundred and ninety-five_.

Josh remembered the image of Ken and his faceless heat partner again and swung even more furiously.

_Nine hundred… and ninety-six_! _Nine hundred and ninety-seven_! _Nine hundred and ninety-eight_!

But no matter how much force the prince carved thin air with, it did not seem to do anything to his annoyance.

_Nine hundred and ninety-nine. One thousand_!

Josh made a running leap. He jumped at the last second, screaming while holding the sword with both hands by the hilt. As his trajectory went downward, he aimed for the dry ground, as if delivering the killing blow to an invisible enemy.

_Schlink_! The prince’s blade sunk halfway into the dirt, his muscles tensing from the force he stabbed with. For a moment, he remained kneeling, panting, and wondering why he was so agitated.

“ _Josh_ —?”

At the sudden noise, the prince swiftly turned in reflex. Using his foot to pivot his body, he pulled his sword from the ground, drawing a wide arc on the soil. Dust spread around him in a thin cloud, following the sword’s tip that Josh aimed at his intruder. Glaring, he turned the sharpened edge of the blade over to warn whoever it was.

“Woah— _hey_!” the visitor exclaimed. “ _It’s me_ , Your Highness!”

As the dust settled, Josh could see the tired and worn face of the alpha soldier who had been plaguing his thoughts the entire night. Ken stared at him, defenseless and surprised. _Traitor_. The Crown Prince only had time to notice him waving a hand in front of his chest before Josh’s body moved, leaping up to Ken to attack.

_Just what I needed: a moving target_.

Josh pushed himself up by his toes, blade going straight for Ken’s midsection.

“ _Josh, it’s me_!” the soldier screamed. “ _It’s Ken_!”

But by the time Ken finished his sentence, he was already getting knocked down with his back to the ground. Josh thrust the blade just beside Ken’s ear, twisting it further into the dirt.

He glared.

“Wh-what— _why are you swinging a real sword at me_?!”

“I always practice with a real sword, _Kendrik_.” Josh stood back up, his feet on either side of Ken’s hips. “It’s no fun to practice with wooden ones.”

“ _It’s dangerous_! _Crickets_ , _Josh_!” Ken had a horrified expression that pleased Josh somehow. But once the prince remembered why he was irritated in the first place, he wiped the smile that began to curve his lips.

“How did your rut go?” Josh asked, voice cold as the steel on his sword.

“Y-You heard?”

“From Maverick, yes. I heard you went to the capital to find a heat nurse.”

“Ah, t-that…”

“Did it go well?” The prince drew his sword from the ground and brandished it over Ken’s chest. “It looks like whoever your partner was, they were no good.”

Ken gulped, not once blinking as Josh stared into his eyes: beautiful, warm, and kind earthen orbs. But the prince would not fall for his deception.

“D-did something happen—why are you upset?!”

“I’m not upset. So, how did it go? Your rut?”

“ _I spent it alone_!” Ken replied, desperate. “I… I only looked for a place to spend my rut b-but… I was alone!”

The words bounced off the arena’s walls, going straight into the prince’s ears. He blinked at Ken, Ken blinked back, and then there was silence.

“A… _lone_?”

The soldier nodded, pushing himself up by his elbows. His eyes met Josh’s, bewildered and asking whether he did anything wrong.

Ken held out his hand to the prince.

“A little help?” he said, face looking confused and tired. “ _Your Highness_?”

Josh nodded. The embarrassment began to rise from his belly to his face. He was glad that the sun was only beginning to rise, and the darkness shrouded his blushing cheeks.

_How dishonorable_ , he thought, _to think of such an honest man as a traitor_.

The prince took Ken’s arm, gripping it tight. He hoped the soldier would feel his apology with how his hand clawed at Ken’s firm muscle. Josh gave him a tentative, apologetic smile, then attempted to hoist the soldier to his feet.

But Ken demanded retribution.

As Josh leaned down to pull him, the soldier grabbed his shoulders and pulled him to the dust. The next thing Josh knew, the world was spinning, and he hit the ground with a dull thud. His head throbbed from the impact of landing beside the soldier, losing his balance.

Ken began to chuckle beside him.

The prince turned his head to Ken. “ _How dare you_?”

“S-sorry…” Ken’s voice sounded like he _was_ sorry. But he was smiling. Josh wondered why he had not noticed how pretty the soldier’s smile was before.

Josh attempted to sit up. But when Ken asked, “Can I stay like this for a little bit,” the prince lay back down on the dirt after a moment’s hesitation.

And they stared at the same pastel sky that was beginning to color pink and orange.

“It’s pretty hard,” Ken began, not looking at Josh.

“What is?” he asked.

“Spending a cycle alone,” the soldier replied. “My past two ruts, I’ve… I’ve been alone. And it’s… it’s pretty rough. I can’t imagine… how you survived for _years_ without a partner.” Ken turned to Josh. “And getting your heats _every month_! _Cheeses_! I could… _never_ be an omega.”

The prince just laughed. “You’ll get used to it,” he replied.

Josh looked up at the sky again. Like how the darkness of night disappeared with the burning light, his embarrassing thoughts dissipated into nothingness. Only relief was left at its wake, a comfortable peace and rest that suddenly made the prince feel free.

As Josh continued to stare up at the sky, a single thought intruded his mind out of nowhere. Like an epiphany, the prince suddenly realized: Ken was special. Ken was special to him, and, in the same way, he wanted to be special to Ken. Beyond duty, beyond propriety, Josh wanted to connect with the alpha beyond physical intimacy. He wanted an emotional entanglement. Whether it was his needy omega nature or his possessiveness, the prince realized that he regarded the soldier differently from everyone else.

The prince felt a little queasy in the stomach as he digested the thought in his head. The longer he lay on the ground with his innocent thoughts, the more he felt Ken’s warmth beside him. The more he felt that warmth, the stronger the soldier’s pheromones smelled, and the surer Josh became of his emotions.

Josh had feelings for him.

When the prince declared it in his head, his bliss soon turned into embarrassment. Because what exactly should he do about these… _feelings_? For how long will he have them? Should he tell Ken?

The prince discreetly glanced at the alpha beside him. Ken was looking satisfied as he stared at the sky with a peaceful smile on his tired face.

Josh decided maybe he should not say his feelings out loud. Not yet, at least. He had only realized his feelings; talking to Ken about them would be premature, maybe even troublesome for the soldier. Besides that, Josh’s coronation was only a few months away. He still had many things to take care of, matters that superseded his endeavors and needs. Before anything, Josh was Crown Prince. He had to act like one.

Perhaps, when they have one less thing to worry about, Josh will create the right conditions to talk to Ken. There was no need to rush when his feelings might be fleeting or a product of his selfishness. He could go slow. He could remain in that patch of dirt beside the soldier and acquaint himself with all the reasons Ken was precious.

“Next time,” Josh began. He looked up at the sky, now slowly becoming a beautiful baby blue.

“Next time?”

“When you have your rut next time,” he began, “feel free… to spend it with me.”

A few seconds of silence ensued after Ken gasped.

The soldier said, “M-my prince… an alpha’s rut is different from an omega’s heat. I—”

“I know. I have two alpha brothers. I know.”

“Y-You don’t… I won’t… I can’t…” Ken stuttered.

“I do,” Josh answered, turning to him and smiling. “You will. _And you can_.”

The soldier only furiously blinked at him in response. Josh’s heart leaped in his chest when Ken’s cheeks turned a beautiful reddish-bronze shade.

“I want to,” he added.

The soldier’s response was, “L-let me think about it… f-for a few days.”

But when Ken’s entire face turned beet red after, Josh had a feeling he would give in to the prince. Because somehow, the alpha _always_ gave him what he wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! too fluffy!!!!!! my eyes!!! my angsty soul!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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